The Digimon Murderer
by ShadowFoxFolk
Summary: There are fifteen NEW Devas in town and they're after someone called the Digimon Murderer...but who is it? Friend or foe and will the Tamers be able to help it? PLEASE READ MY PROFILE!
1. Life without them

Title-The Digimon Murderer 

Genre- Romance

Sub-genre- General

Summary: There is a new evil threatening the digital world and it's out to get someone called the digimon murderer. It's one year after the whole D-Reaper thing and Rika has to face new problems of her own. Can someone help her face everything going wrong in her life? Read to find out… 

Disclaimer- Of course I don't own digimon! If I did, then why would I be putting a story line on the Internet when I could be making millions by making it into another series or even a movie! Duh!

A/N- Hello! Nice to meet all of ya. How's life treatin' ya? Good I hope… Anyway…thanks for tuning in to my story, I hope you like it. The characters might be very slightly OOC, but hey…I tried didn't I. I'm not gonna give anything away yet, so if you want to know what's happening, you'll have to wait and see…I might come across as slightly weird in my A/N's, but don't worry, it's not just you…I really am crazy! Enjoy the story! I'll post more if you like it. Toodles!  

Prologue Life without them… 

Rika Nonaka lay on her stomach looking over a black and blue book. She had a pencil in her hand and a slight frown on her face. The page she was looking at was completely blank. She sighed and flipped back to some of the previous pages and studied them carefully. A Rose, a piece of material tied in a knot, a wicker basket, a dog profile and a highly detailed lion head. She smiled before turning back to the empty page. 

"Come on…think!" She muttered to herself. She looked around her room and her eyes fell on a mirror. She looked at the reflection of a fifteen-year-old girl staring back at her. A pair of ice-violet eyes watched her from across the room. Rika sat up and ran her fingers through her fiery-red hair in frustration.

"Hmm…fire and ice. Strange combination." She smiled at the thought and looked back at her book. Grade ten was harder than she had thought it would be. Of course, she hadn't made it any easier on herself when she'd chosen Double Science. Physics and Biology; a tough subject package to take, but fun nonetheless. Biology was easier than Physics; there was a lot of learning to do, but you memorized most of it just by listening in class. Physics was difficult, much more difficult than even Math, but it was interesting. She sighed. Her subjects were demanding a lot of work and she hardly had any free time. Double Science, Math and Art. On top of that, she had hockey practices to go to, one of her newly found talents. Ryo played too. He was the captain of the boy's under-16 team. Rika was captain of her own team too. She grinned to herself. The look on her mothers face when she had found out Rika was taking Physics and Art had been hilarious. Rika chuckled at the memory. Her mother was a model, beautiful and famous. Every little girl's perfect role model. _Every_ little girl…except Rika. Rika had inherited a lot from her mother in the looks department. She too was beautiful and had the same ice-violet eyes as her mother, but Rika had gotten her stubborn attitude, bad-girl-loner personality and quick temper from her dad. She would rather take on the D-Reaper again than be a model like her mother. She sighed and looked back at her Art homework. One sketch every week. She would spend hours on them. Her favorite by far, was the lion she had done three weeks before. It was highly detailed and exquisitely drawn. She had gotten the picture from a magazine. The lion had its mouth open in a wide yawn and Rika had captured every shadow, every hair with just three types of pencils and a few different methods of shading. But now she had no idea of what to draw. She turned back to the lion and stared at it. The door to her room suddenly slid open and Rumiko walked in. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders and her lips shone from the bright pink lipstick. She smiled at her daughter. 

"Sketching again honey?" She asked as she approached Rika. Rika turned to her mother and nodded. 

"I just can't think of anything to draw," she said exasperatedly. Rumiko smiled at her daughter.

"Rika dear, you have a whole week. Don't fret about it so much. Remember, excess worrying leads to premature wrinkles," Rumiko smiled down at her. Rika laughed and shook her head. The phone suddenly rang and Rumiko hurried out the room, muttering,

"It's probably Coco." Rika sighed and went back to her drawing. Coco, her mother's photographer, was always phoning with screen test opportunities for her mother. She was just flipping through her book again when she heard her mother calling her. She snapped her sketchbook shut and left her room. She walked down the corridor and into the kitchen. Rumiko had her hand over the receiver on the phone.

"It's for you," she smiled as she handed the phone to Rika.

"Who is it?" Rika asked. 

"It's Ryo sweetheart," Rumiko answered. Rika smiled and put the phone to her ear as her mother left the room. 

"Hello Ryo," Rika smiled. 

"Hey wildcat, what are you up to?" Ryo said. He sounded cheerful as usual. She sighed and smiled.

"Homework. You?" 

"Same, I can't figure out the math," he said, sounding slightly frustrated. Rika grinned.

"If you called for help, then I'm afraid you picked the wrong person. I'm no good at math," she laughed. Ryo laughed too.

"Don't be so modest wildcat, you scored a ninety-five on our last test," Ryo grinned. Rika groaned playfully.

"Don't remind me. My mother hasn't stopped telling her photographers about it all week. Next time, I'm gonna fail on purpose," she snickered. Ryo smiled too.

"Don't; if you do, I won't have anyone to copy from. Besides, I didn't call for help with math homework," he grinned. 

"Then what did you call for?" Rika asked. 

"I called to ask if you wanted to meet me at the park tomorrow," he said hopefully. Rika raised a curious eyebrow.

"Do you mean 'you' as in alone, or 'you' as in you and the others too?" She asked. Ryo smiled.

"Me and the others of course. Why? Do you _want_ to meet alone?" He asked slyly. Rika laughed at him.

"Don't get any ideas Ryo Akiyama. You know I didn't mean it that way," she smiled. "But yeah sure, I'll go to the park with you." This time, Roy raised a curious eyebrow.

"Do you with me alone or with me _and_ the others?" He asked. Rika laughed again. 

"I'm starting to see a pattern here. I mean with you _and_ the others," she smiled.

"Oh… great. Well then, see you tomorrow wildcat," he said brightly. Rika smiled.

"Bye Ryo," she said. She put the phone down and walked back to her room.

"What did Ryo want?" Rumiko asked.

"Oh, he wanted me to meet him in the park with the others tomorrow," Rika explained. "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight mom." Rumiko smiled at her daughter. She had noticed the strong relationship Rika had with Ryo. He often called her and they spent a lot of time together. He seemed to be the only person she really talked to about her problems and he was also the only person who could make her smile. But she flatly denied any accusation that they were a couple. They were simply 'good friends'. 

"Good night Rika," she said, the smile still on her face. Rika walked into her room, packed away her schoolbooks and slipped into bed. She sighed as she shut her eyes. It had been an entire year since she and the other Tamers had destroyed the D-Reaper. Even though she had lost her best friend, Renamon, in the process, she had become closer with her mother and Grandmother. Rika missed Renamon terribly and wanted her friend back, but the tunnel to the digital portal had collapsed after a vicious earthquake and try as they might, they couldn't dig it out again. Rika sighed at the memory. She and Ryo had been in Shinjuku Park at the time of the earthquake. They had been waiting for the other Tamers to arrive so they could go through the tunnel when they had heard the warning sirens. They had been out in the open and had had to take shelter in Giulmon's old hideout. The two of them had been trapped in there for several hours before they had been able to dig themselves out.

*~*Flashback*~*

"What's taking them so long?" Rika said annoyed.

"Don't worry wildcat, they'll get here soon," Ryo said in a pacifying voice. Rika sighed and sat back against a tree. 

"D'you think we'll find them? The digimon I mean…" she asked. Ryo sat down next her.

"Sure we will wildcat. Besides, we promised them we'd visit to play. Remember?" He smiled at her. Rika looked up at him and was about to answer when she felt a slight tremor in the ground beneath her. She looked up at Ryo nervously.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I dunno. Maybe it…" he fell silent as another, more violent tremor shook the ground. Then they heard the sirens. Rika looked at Ryo in panic.

"We have to get out of the open. If these trees start coming down we'll be crushed!" Ryo nodded and they jumped to their feet. They ran to the nearest form of shelter, which happened to be Giulmon's old hideout. They ducked inside, stumbling as the ground shook more violently. They could hear trees being uprooted and falling on the roof of the small building they were crouching in. The ceiling started rumbling and they threw themselves on the floor as it collapsed onto them. Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the tremors stopped and everything became calm. Rika could feel a lot of debris resting on her back.

"Are you okay Rika?" Ryo asked. Rika nodded. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?" She asked. Ryo sat up. He had been covering her to prevent the roof from falling on her too much.

"I'm all right." He looked around and sighed.

"We're trapped aren't we," Rika said solemnly as she sat up as well. She had a cut on her shoulder and it was bleeding a lot. She clamped her hand over it to stop the blood flow. 

"Yeah, but we'll able to get out. It'll take a while though." He too had a few injuries, but neither of them were hurt very badly so they had managed to dig themselves out. Once they had, they looked back at the small hut. It was completely wrecked and there was no way they would be able to get past all the rubble. 

"Great!" Rika said angrily. "That's just great! Now we'll never get them back!" Ryo sighed as he moved over to her.

"Come on, let's get home. Some one needs to have a look at your shoulder," he put his hand on her back and led her out of the wrecked park.

*~* End of Flashback*~*       

Rika shut her eyes and pulled the covers over her head. The digimon were gone and it was unlikely that they would ever see them again. Life without them just wasn't the same…

*~*~*~*~*~*

"We must destroy the Digimon murderer. You must find and annihilate the disgusting creature."

"Yes me liege. I am at your command. I **_will_ **destroy the Digimon assassin."

"Take the Devas with you. The Digimon murderer is resourceful and powerful. You will need the Devas help."

"I will my lord. My wish is your command."

"Good. Now go!"

"I will not fail you, my almighty sovereign."

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- so what did you think of my Prologue? Did you like it? I hope you did, because I didn't spend ages typing it for absolutely squat! Anyway, like I said before, if you like my story and I get good reviews, then I'll carry on writing. By the way, if you like Harry Potter, then look for a story called 'Harry Potter and the Power of the Ancient Banshees'. Love you guys! Chow! 


	2. Tamers get ready!

A/N- Hello! Thanks for the reviews guys! Now, I'm sure you've noticed that I've changed the little formatting problem. It turns out I accidentally uploaded the chapter as a word document instead of a 'web page' document. Oops…Oh well, the problem has been solved, so stop complaining about it. Any way…

DigiFreak103- Thanks for saying that. It was really nice of you. But I have a lot more in store for you!

Linkin Park ()- Yes of course I have heard of paragraphs! No need to be so insulting about it. Sheesh! And _I say that Season TWO never happened! Season three for ever!!! And Ryo/Rika forever too!!! HA! HA! HA!_

I know there aren't any more Devas left (except for Lopmon), but…just wait and you'll see what I mean. 

Any way…on with the show!!

P.S- I'm really sorry about the long wait but I've had exams to study for and actual exams to write, so…sorry!

Chapter 1 

Tamers get ready!

Rika yawned as she sat up in her bed. She looked over at her digital clock and groaned.

"What am I doing?" She sighed as she lay back on her pillow. "4:39 a.m. and I decide to wake up." She sighed, kicked off her blanket and got up, knowing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. She quietly moved around her room and got dressed. Then she turned to her door and walked towards it. 

THUD

"Dammit!" She looked behind her to see what she had tripped on. It had been her school bag. She sighed and picked herself up. As she moved over to her door, her eyes fell on her digimon cards and her digivice. She hesitated for a second, and then grabbed them and slipped them into her pocket. She left her room and walked into the kitchen. Maybe if she had some breakfast, she might wake up a little more.

"All right, not the best morning I've had but…" she moved to the stove and took a frying pan out the cupboard as she went. Rika knew all to well that she was pushing her luck by trying to cook, but hey, she needed a laugh right about now any way. She took two eggs out the fridge and some bread for her toast. Okay, two taps on the counter, break them apart…

_Wow, so far so good. I even kept the yolks whole and everything. Now all I have to do is survive the frying bit and I'm home free._ She chuckled at the thought and turned on the stove. While she was waiting for her eggs to fry, she slipped two slices of bread into her toaster and pushed the pop-up mechanism down. Then she poured herself some apple juice and sat down. She sat staring at the wall, images flashing before her eyes. Renamon, Ryo, her artwork, Ryo…She smiled. Then suddenly, an awful smell hit her nose. Like something was burning. Then it clicked.

"Oh! Dammit!" Rika got to her feet and ran to the stove. Her eggs were starting to burn. She only just had enough time to save them. She quickly pulled the pan off the stove, tipped her eggs into a plate and got her toast, which had just popped out of the toaster. She buttered the two slices and put them onto the plate. Then, grabbing her apple juice, she walked into the lounge to eat her slightly burnt breakfast. She sat down on a couch and switched on the TV. The news came on and she settled into her chair. 

"We have just received news on the strange electrical interferences the entire Shinjuku area experienced last night." Rika lifted her head from her plate curiously and looked at the screen. The news reporter had her hand to her ear, listening to the small earpiece. She looked up and took a deep breath.

"Experts say that the problem started in Shinjuku Park and spread throughout the area from there. Officials at the electric company claim that they received massive amounts of complaints, made by the local residents, of blackouts and interference in all forms of electric appliances. There have also been numerous complaints of hang-ups on the Internet, although this happens so often that no one took it very seriously." Rika sniggered at the last comment.

"We have been informed that the interruptions are based on the aftermath of the battle between those monsters called Digimon and that big pink blob, although some say that it is merely a cover up made by some secret governmental experiment. This however is a moot and somewhat crazy idea. Unfortunately, that is all the knowledge we have on the incident. We will report any new information as soon as possible. And now, on to the weather…" Rika raised the remote and switched the TV off. A small frown settled on her face. 

"Weird…" She said to herself. The last time they had experienced strange electrical interruptions like these was when the Devas had Bio-emerged into the real world. She sighed and shrugged it off. There was no way it could be the Devas. She and the other Tamers had destroyed them all. Well…except for Lopmon of course, but she was Suzy's partner now. She shrugged it off and took her empty plate to the kitchen. As she rinsed off her plate and placed it on the drying rack, she glanced up at the clock on the wall.

"5:57 a.m." Her mother and grandmother would be waking up soon. She sighed and went back into her room to pack her school bag. At least she would be able to take a long slow walk to school today. She plucked at her school skirt and sighed. Then she heard her mother's clock radio go off and knew that she would wake up now. She grinned as Rumiko walked past her bedroom door, groaning and clutching a gown over her nightdress. Rika smiled and shook her head. Then she got up and walked out of her room, swinging her bag onto her shoulders as she went. Rumiko looked up at her as she came into the kitchen.

"You're finished early," she commented. Rika shrugged.

"I woke up early and got done while you were asleep," she explained. "I'm gonna start walking now, I'll see you later." With that, she left the kitchen and walked out the front door. She shut the door behind her and crossed her garden. As she opened the gate to leave, a voice called out to her.

"Hey Rika!" She looked up and saw a boy about a year older than herself, running towards her. His bright blue eyes twinkled at her as he ran up to meet her. She gazed at him for a second before smiling at him. As he stopped in front of her, he ran his fingers through his chocolate brown hair.

"You're up early," he laughed.

"Hi Ryo," she smiled. He turned to start walking again and she shut her gate and followed him. They were walking at an incredibly slow pace, but it didn't really matter, because they had a lot of time until the bell rang. Ryo looked over at Rika.

"You see the news this morning?" He asked. She looked at him and nodded.

"Don't you think it was kinda weird?" She asked. He smiled and nodded thoughtfully.

"It was sought of odd. I mean, no one had any explanation for it…"

"Except for the whole government secret nonsense," Rika laughed. Ryo grinned at her. 

"Who knows…maybe it's not nonsense," he said mysteriously. Rika laughed again and shook her head at him. 

"Maybe we should ask Takato and the others about it this afternoon. We _are_ still on for the park right?" She said at length. Ryo nodded in answer and Rika smiled.

"Good, it'll be nice to see everyone again," she said. Ryo looked at her in mock shock and very apparent amusement.

"You'd better watch out Rika, or people might actually think you had a heart!" He said teasingly. She gave him a playful glare and gently shoved him with her shoulder. He laughed at her and she grinned. 

"You know Ryo…you may be my friend but I can still whoop you. So if I were you, I'd watch what I said more carefully," she chuckled mischievously. He looked at her in mock fear. 

"Oooh…was that a threat?" He asked, feigning a look of deep panic. She grinned wickedly.

"It was if you want it to be one," she said and then looked away from him, realizing what she had said. Ryo just laughed at her. 

"My word, it blushes!" He said mockingly. Rika looked at him and frowned playfully. 

"I am _not _blushing!" She smiled at him and he grinned back. They walked on in silence for a while. 

"Done any new sketches lately?" Ryo asked after a while, breaking the long silence. Rika looked up at him and smiled. Ryo had always liked her sketches. He himself took art, but he couldn't draw to save his life. But he wasn't completely hopeless. He was a 'master' with a paintbrush. This was one thing Rika couldn't do though. But their little shortcomings meant nothing, because they always helped each other where the other had problems. 

"Not yet. I can't think of anything to draw," Rika said with a smile. 

"Don't worry, you will," he smiled. Rika just nodded and looked ahead of her again. They stopped at a robot and waited for it to turn red so that they could cross the street. Rika looked up at Ryo and noticed that he had been watching her. Her cheeks flushed a bright red and she turned away. Ryo grinned at her.

"So it _does_ blush! I knew it!" He said teasingly. Rika growled at him and he fell silent. Ryo grinned at her and she smiled. He loved clashing swords with Rika, but he was careful never to take it to far, because once Rika got mad at you, she stayed mad. And it was very hard to get her to stop hating you. Ryo had experience in this matter. It had taken him ages to win Rika's trust, let alone her friendship. But it had proved to be worth the wait in Ryo's eyes. He smiled down at her and she smiled back. He loved this little power he had over her. No matter how upset she was, he could always cheer her up and make her smile. They waited for a few minutes and finally, the light turned red. They crossed the street and started walking again. 

"What do we have in first lesson today?" Ryo asked after a while of silence. Rika thought for a second then sighed. 

"I can't remember. Hang on, I'll check my diary…" She twisted her bag around so that it hung on one shoulder. Then she dug inside it and drew out a small blue book. Ryo looked at it curiously. He had never known that Rika owned a diary…

She closed her bag and swung it onto her back again. She glanced up at him and noticed his puzzled expression. She grinned and shook her head at him.

"It's my homework diary. Do you honestly take me for the type of person who would write her feelings in a little book?" She asked with a smirk. Ryo grinned.

"Nope. Besides, you'd have to actually _have_ feelings if you were going to write them down in the first place." He smiled at her as he waited for her to catch on to what he had said. He grinned as it finally dawned upon her. She looked at him in mock hurt and outrage.

"Hey! Are you trying to say I don't have any feelings?" She pouted. Ryo laughed at her. 

"Not at all Ice Princess," he said, grinning at how cute she looked when she stuck out her lip. He shook his head and she turned away from him. Ryo noticed this and looked at her, wondering if he'd gone to far. 

"Rika?" He said cautiously. She didn't answer. Ryo looked at her anxiously.

"Rika, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean…" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because Rika suddenly burst out laughing. He stared at her, feeling extremely confused. Rika looked up at him as she finally got her laughter under control.

"Oh Ryo. I swear I have you wrapped around my little finger!" She laughed. Ryo blushed furiously. 

"You mean you weren't mad at me at all? He asked. She grinned up at him and he sighed with relief. Then he turned to her with a mock glare.

"That wasn't very nice Wildcat," he said. Rika looked up at him and smiled innocently. 

"I'm sorry, but you're so easy to fool. I just couldn't resist," she said, grinning at him again. He looked down at her.

"You're forgiven…I suppose. But don't think I'm gonna let you get away with this!" He said warningly. She smiled up at him. 

"Why would I?  If you didn't seek revenge, that would ruin all the fun," she smirked. Ryo laughed and shook his head. 

"You are unbelievable wildcat," he smiled. Rika grinned at him and found herself blushing a deep crimson. Ryo noticed this and smiled. She looked beautiful when she was blushing. 

_Then again…she always looks beautiful,_ he thought to himself with a smile. _Whoa! Hang on there. This is Rika I'm thinking about!_ He looked down at her again. The color had faded from her cheeks now and she looked quite peaceful. _She really is beautiful though. _He smiled at her and she smiled back up at him. 

_I should wake up early more often,_ Rika thought as she stared up at Ryo. She smiled to herself and found herself feeling rather disappointed when they arrived at the school. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Zihuralamon sir, how are we going to find the assassin?"

"Do not worry Ghiuramon; we will not have to search for the foul creature. The disgusting filth will come to us once we Bio-emerge. That abomination cannot resist the chance to kill more of our kind."

"If it threatens the sovereign, then how are we expected to beat it?" 

"You have been given powers beyond that of any normal digimon Tuzeremon. Beyond that of even the first Devas."

"When will Zhuqiaomon have us depart?"

"Soon Hazeramon. Very soon…"

(A/N- All the Digimon here are my own Devas. Except Zhuqiaomon of course…)

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika stared at the clock over the black board. 

_Twenty seconds…Nineteen…eighteen…_She sighed and looked at Ryo. He was sitting beside her with his head on his desk and his arms folded. She smiled and shook her head. She looked back at the clock.

_Eleven…ten…nine…_Just a few more seconds and she would be home free. No more school for two days. Sure, it wasn't much. But at least she had some time to relax now. She stared at the clock for the last time.

_Three…two…one… _The bell rang through the school and Ryo's head shot of his desk.

"Finally!" He said with a smile. He turned to Rika and smiled as she stood up and swung her bag onto her shoulders. He stood up and the two of them hurried out of the class with the rest of the stampede. They walked more quickly now. As they reached Rika's house, Ryo stopped with her.

"See you later," he smiled. She smiled at him.

"Yeah. Meet me at the corner in say…ten minutes," she said. Ryo raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ten minutes?" Don't girls usually take ages to change?" He asked. Rika shook her head at him and smiled. 

"This is me you're talking to Ryo," she said grinning at him.

"Oh right. You're not any ordinary girl are you?" He laughed at her and she smiled.

"I'll see you in ten minutes," she said and turned to walk into her yard. Ryo ran off towards his own house. 

As Rika ran inside, she went straight to her room and quickly changed into her trademark jeans and shirt. She grabbed her cardholder belt, slipped it on, dumped her bag on the floor and hurried into the kitchen. Her grandmother was sitting at the table reading a magazine. 

"I'm going out for a while Grandma. I'll see you later okay?" Rika said as she slipped her digivice onto her belt and her cards into her deck holder. Her grandma looked up at her from behind her magazine and smiled.

"Okay sweetheart. Be careful…and don't come home too late," she said. Rika smiled as she walked to the door. 

"Okay. See you later Grandma!" She called as she left the house. She walked out of her garden and shut the gate. Then she made her way to the corner. Ryo was already there. He looked up as she approached him.

"Wow, when you say ten minutes, you really mean ten minutes," he smiled, checking his watch. Rika shook her head at him.

"Come on, let's get going," she smiled. He grinned at her and they walked to the sub-way. 

Rika sat next to Ryo on the sub-way train. The cart was empty except for an old man who was fast asleep. Rika turned to Ryo. He was staring out the window, a small smile on his lips. She gazed at him for a few moments and then quickly turned away. What if he had noticed her staring at him? She shook her head and stared out the window.

"Hey Rika," Ryo suddenly said. She started and looked at him. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile too. 

"Yeah?" She answered almost hopefully. 

"Got the time?" He asked. Rika felt slightly disappointed. But why? What did she want from him? She shook it off and looked at her watch. 

"It's a quarter to three," she said as she looked out the window again. He watched her for a few second then turned to the window as well. 

The train slowed to a halt at Shinjuku station and Rika and Ryo hopped off. They fought their way through the crowd and made their way to the park.

"When they got there, Takato and the others were no where to be found.

"Maybe they went to the old hideout," Rika suggested. Ryo nodded and they walked over to Giulmon's old hideout. As they neared it, they could hear voices coming from inside. They walked up the path and suddenly, people walked over to them. The little hideout had been repaired since the last time Rika had been there.

"Hey Rika! Hello Ryo!" Said a boy with brown hair and brownish-red eyes.

"Hey Goggle-head," Rika smiled as she and Ryo walked over.

"Long time no see Takato," Ryo smiled. Takato grinned at them.

"Hey you two!" Called a female voice. Rika and Ryo looked up. A girl in a green dress smiled down at them from the top of the small flight of steps that led to the hideout. Her brown hair hung in her usual half pony and eyes were the same as they had always been, kind and gentle, holding a permanent smile. She smiled and raised the small dog puppet that was on her hand.

"Ruff! It's been a long time since we've seen you!" Said the puppet in an oddly squawky voice. Rika laughed slightly and shook her head. 

"Your ventriloquism is getting better Jeri," she smiled. Jeri smiled at Rika.

"Thanks," she said. 

"Where are the others?" Ryo asked as he looked around.

"Right here," said a voice from behind them. Rika and Ryo turned around. 

"Hi guys. It's been a while," said a boy with blue hair and blue eyes. 

"Hey Henry," Rika smiled.

"Hi," Ryo said from her side. 

"Enough with the soppy reunion! The fun has arrived!" The small group of friends looked up to see two more boys walking up the path. They both looked rather stupid and completely clueless. 

"Hey guys," said the boy with glasses.

"Hey Kenta," Takato smiled. 

"Alright, I thought I said enough with the reunion," said the other boy. Rika shook her head in annoyance. 

"So typical of you Kazu," she smirked. Kazu looked at her and shook his head. 

"I didn't know _you_ were invited," he said. "I thought this was a meeting of _friends_." Rika growled angrily. Kazu winced in fear.

"Watch it Kazu," Rika snapped. "Ours was a friendship born in battle and if you don't watch your step…it'll end in battle too." Kazu took a step back and quivered with fear. The Tamers all burst out laughing and Rika looked at Kazu triumphantly. She may have softened up a little, but she still didn't take crap from anyone. 

"So uh…what are we gonna do now that we're all here?" Jeri asked. 

"Actually," Rika said, "I wanted to ask you guys something." 

"About what?" Henry asked. 

"Well, about that whole electricity thing that was on the news this morning," Rika said. Takato looked at Rika.

"The disturbances?" He asked. Rika nodded. 

"Yeah. The reporter said it was rumored to have something to do with the Digimon," Ryo said. 

"Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that the disturbances were oddly similar to those the Digimon made," Henry said. " You know, when they Bio-merged." Rika nodded. 

"That's what I thought. Do you think it means anything?" She asked. 

"I don't know, but it freaked me out," Kenta said.

"Why? Cause you couldn't use your night light?" Rika sneered. 

"Hey! I'll have you know I stopped using me night light last month!" Kenta said hotly. The Tamers looked at each other for a second and then burst out laughing again.  

"What? What's so funny?" Kenta said, feeling as confused as he looked. 

"Nothing Kenta…absolutely nothing," Rika laughed. Kenta crossed his arms and huffed angrily.

"Anyway," Henry said as he finally stopped laughing. "I think we should prepare ourselves. You never know. All this electrical interference may have something to do with the Digimon. So I think it's best we get ready." 

"How?" Takato asked.

"Yeah, it's not like we can train our Digimon or anything," Jeri pointed out. Henry nodded.

"You have a point Jeri, maybe we should practice our card combinations," he said. 

"Cool! We can have a mini-tournament," Kazu said excitedly. 

"Sounds like fun!" Ryo smiled. 

"Whatever," Rika sighed. Ryo grinned at her.

"Come on pumpkin. It'll be fun and besides, you might be able to battle me again," he said charmingly. Rika looked up at him and frowned impishly.

"I am sooo whooping your ass for calling me that hideous name," she growled. Ryo grinned. 

"I'm counting on it," he smiled.

"Great, so let's get started," Kazu grinned.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was getting late and the tournament was still underway. The lights in the park flickered on and Rika sighed in relief. Her eyes had started watering from all the squinting in the semi-dark. The sun was going to start sinking soon. 

Kazu, who had lost to Takato, was sitting by a tree with Kenta, who had lost spectacularly to Rika. Both of them were in an extremely sulky mood, but even they couldn't resist the final match between Rika and Ryo. 

The score was even, 900 to 900.

(A/N- First to 1000 wins. I won't explain in detail now. Oh, by the way…I am the currently undefeated champ! Call me 'Rika the second'! HA! HA!)

"The tensions so thick you could use it for gravy!" Kenta said as he hovered behind Ryo, trying to see his hand.

"Word…" Kazu said. 

"Would you two shut up!" Rika snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate!" Ryo smiled at her and looked down at this hand again. He would have told Kazu and Kenta off himself if Rika hadn't beaten him to it. He glanced up at Rika, looking for some sort of clue as to what she had in her hand. But looked down at his cards again and sighed. He scanned his hand and frowned. He only had one useful card His only chance was that Rika didn't have any up-grade cards or attack cards in her hand. But the chances of that were bad. He knew Rika to keep a lot of attack cards in her deck. He glanced up at her again, but her expression was blank. She wasn't giving anything away. 

_Oh well, here goes nothing…_he thought. He carefully slid his card out of his hand and placed it face up on his power-port. It displayed a picture of MetalEtamon on the front and the words 'Metal Attack' were printed across the side. This added fifty attack points to his Digimon and he only needed thirty to beat her. She would now have to add thirty to her own Digimon to win, or somehow give herself a different advantage.  

"Pass," he sighed, almost as if he were bored. Rika looked up at him and grinned.

"Relax, Ryo. You sound a little tense there," she smirked. Ryo smiled at her and shook his head.

"Just make your move, Wildcat," he said. Rika grinned.

"Are you sure you want me to do it? You might not like it," she smiled. 

"Go ahead," Ryo sighed. Rika grinned.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." She slipped a new looking card out of her hand and placed it face down on her own power-port. Then, with a huge grin spread across her face, she reached over, took Ryo's champion card off his rookie and put it on his discard pile. Ryo looked at her in confusion. Rika just smiled and flipped over her card. They all bent over to it and stared at it. It had a strange looking picture of a Gatomon sitting in a box, surrounded by rubbish on the front. The words 'Downgrade' were printed neatly across the side of the card. Ryo smiled with approval.

"You've been practicing Rika," he smiled at her. She grinned at him.

"A little," she said simply.

"Well it's paid off, because you just beat me," Ryo smiled. He held out his hand to her. Rika smiled at him.

"It wasn't easy, you're tough," she smiled as she took his hand. Kazu and Kenta stared in shock as Rika and Ryo packed away their cards. 

"You cheated!" Kazu said, pointing his finger dramatically at Rika. 

"Yeah! There's no way you could've beaten Ryo!" Kenta agreed. 

"I did _not_ cheat!" Rika shouted angrily.

"Come on guys," Ryo said. "It's not that big a deal. I knew she would beat me sooner or later." Rika beamed at him happily. Kazu and Kenta were completely unconvinced. 

"I say you cheated. There's no way you could beat Ryo. You just can't!" Kazu pouted. Rika glared at him hatefully. Ryo winced slightly. She had used that glare on him so many times before they had become friends and it still sent shivers down his spine. Kazu was crossing the line and was pushing Rika too close to the edge. Luckily, Henry intervened.

"Uh…maybe we should get going," he said quickly. 

"Yeah," Takato said anxiously. "It's getting late." Ryo took Rika's arm and pulled her to her feet as he stood. 

"Come on Rika. Henry's right, we still have a train to catch and it's getting dark." She looked at him and sighed. 

"Fine, whatever," she said in annoyance. She walked off without saying goodbye. Ryo glared at Kazu angrily.

"You had to get her angry didn't you! Do you know how long it's gonna take for me to get her to forgive you?" He said angrily. "Not that you deserve it!"  He hurried after Rika, waving a quick goodbye to the others. Kazu turned to find all the Tamers glaring at him as well.

"What?" He said stupidly.

Ryo caught up with Rika just as she reached the exit to the park. She was still extremely angry and he knew she would be for a while. 

"Forget about him. He's just being his usual self. You know how stupid he can be," Ryo said as he walked beside her. Rika smiled slightly. 

"You got that right. That idiot is as dense as fog in pea soup," she said. Ryo smiled and nodded. He could hear by her tone that she was still angry, but at least she was smiling again. They hurried to the sub-way and caught the train back home. Ryo walked Rika to her gate before turning home himself. 

"Goodnight Wildcat," he called. Rika smiled and waved at him. She turned and walked to her door. She opened it, slipped her shoes off and stepped inside.

"Mom! I'm home!" She called.

"Oh, Rika. Your just in time for dinner," Rumiko smiled as she turned the corner. 

"Did you have fun?" She asked. Rika smiled.

"Yeah," she said. She really wasn't in the mood to tell her mother what had happened and was definitely not in the mood for her motherly sympathy. Rumiko smiled at Rika.

"That's nice. Now come on, your dinner will get cold if you don' eat it soon." She smiled and walked back to the kitchen. Rika watched after her mother curiously. Why was she being so lenient? She would usually have scolded her for being out so late without calling. Rika followed her mother to the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. A large wicker basket was lying on the floor beside her grandmother's chair. Rika looked up at her mother and grandmother. 

"What's that?" She asked, pointing at the basket. Rumiko smiled. 

"_That _is yours," she said simply. "Your grandmother spotted it and we thought you might like it." Rika looked at the basket apprehensively. 

"It's not a dress is it?" She said nervously. Rumiko laughed.

"No, it's not a dress," she smiled. Rika relaxed.

"So what is it?" She asked. 

"Why don't you open it and find out?" Her grandmother said. Rika walked over to the wicker basket and knelt down beside it. She undid the small latch that was holding on the lid and flipped it open. Rika jumped slightly as she felt a small weight land in her lap. She looked down and found herself staring at a pure white, Husky puppy. There wasn't even so much as a freckle on its soft, fluffy, snowy fur. As Rika stared at it, it looked up at her. Each of the puppy's eyes was a different color. The left one was startlingly blue and the right was an icy violet. The puppy had an oddly mischievous look about it. Rika looked up at her mother and grandmother. 

"So do you like her?" Rumiko asked. 

"She's okay I guess," she said, looking down at the puppy, which was sniffing at her digivice. Rumiko looked at her daughter oddly.

"'Okay'? I was hoping you would like her a little more than that." 

"What's she for?" Rika asked, ignoring her mother's words. What had she done to make her mother want to buy her a puppy?  

"Well, we thought that, since you're always on your own at home, that you might like a friend for some company," said Rika's grandmother. Rumiko smiled down at Rika. 

"So, what are you going to call her?" She asked. Rika looked down at the puppy and thought for a second. Those mischievous eyes were looking up at her curiously. Then Rika turned to her mother

"I'll call her…Blizzard."      

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- MWA! HA! HA! And so it begins! My reign of evil starts here! Beware of my cold side people. It'll put even Rika's icy heart to shame! Evil cackle 

Why are you people not reviewing?  I have a right mind to stop the story right here! Three reviews in a couple of weeks! Come on people! I know there are more of you reading my story. Even if you didn't like it! I just want some feedback. The story is gonna get a lot more interesting once the action and romance starts and of course it's gonna start really soon. As in like the next chapter!! So review already! Don't just read it and not say anything! Hell that's just plain rude! Any way, enough rambling. Thank you to the very few people who actually did review and to the rest of you…who needs you! I get plenty of reviews on my Harry Potter story so you all can just…CENCORED…!!!! 

Chow!

P.S- What the %$&@ does rnrnrn mean? Somebody please clue me in here. Does it mean 'readers note' or something? And if it does, why the hell do some people repeat it so much?     


	3. Deva Destruction

A/N- Hello! I know it's been a long wait and I'm REALLY sorry, but…heck, why the hell am I apologisin'? I got's my reasons okay! So, anyone miss me? Anywho ß(not a typo), enough self-torture. I'm glad to see my little 'chat' with you guys sunk in. I got a lot more reviews. Fanks! ß(Not a typo!) ;0) Anyway, thank you to Tache who gave me such a heart-filled and inspiring review. He/She said…and I quote… "Continue." …Unquote. Lovely, itn' it ß(yet a gain…not a typo). Thanks to everyone who reviewed. 

P.S Hey Tache…only jokin'…fanks a lot!!! 

P.P.S Hey Sweet-calmness, does Kawaii mean cute? It's a nice word!

P.P.P.S I changed something in the last chapter that was brought to my attention sp please go back and read, it's at the end when Rika gets Blizzard. Thank you Kira. And about Ryo…this is a Rika/Ryo. He _likes_ her so I he's gonna be feeling a bit protective and of course if someone upsets her, he's gonna get mad. Plus I _really_ don't like Kazu.

P.P.P…whatever!!! Rika -15; Ryo -16; everyone else –close to 15 but not there yet; Suzy- 6

Chapter 2 Deva Destruction 

Rika woke up to feel something soft and warm curled up at her feet. She rubbed her eyes groggily and sat up. The sun hit her eyes and she groaned. She looked down and found a furry thing hanging out from underneath her blanket. She looked at it in confusion. Very carefully and very slowly, Rika pulled back the blanket to reveal a snow-white Husky puppy, the size of a teddy bear, lying on her feet. She frowned at it and pushed her away from her feet. The tiny puppy looked up at her and jumped up, stumbling on the soft mattress. Rika raised an eyebrow at it. It leaned up against her and licked her cheek. 

"Don't do that!" Rika said angrily. Blizzard barked sweetly and Rika clamped her mouth shut.

"Sshh…my mom's still asleep," she whispered. She rolled her eyes. 

"Oh great, I'm talking to my dog," she sighed. Blizzard licked Rika's cheek again.

"I thought I told you to cut that out you mutt," Rika groaned as Blizzard sniffed her ears. 

"Cut it out would you. That tickles!" She pushed the puppy off her and frowned down at it. Then she got up and walked into her bathroom. She came out a while later sporting a towel and wet hair. Blizzard was curled up on Rika's bed again and seemed to be asleep. Rika walked into her closet and put on a pair of dark blue jeans and a white shirt with short blue sleeves and a broken heart symbol on the front. She grabbed a pair of socks and walked back into her room, tying a yellow scarf around her neck as she went. She sat on her bed and pulled her socks on. Blizzard was snapping at something in the air and happily barking at whatever it was. Rika got up and hurried over to her. 

"Hush would you," Rika whispered while pulling on her belt. "If you wake mom up, she's gonna be really cranky. Come on. Let's get out of here." She led Blizzard out of her room and walked into the kitchen. She slipped the leash her mom had bought for Blizzard of a hook on the back door and hooked it onto Blizzards collar. Blizzards tail was aging so fast that it looked like a blur. Rika sat down at the table and wrote a quick note to her mother, telling her she had gone to the park and tat she had taken Blizzard with her. Then she grabbed Blizzard's leash and walked her to the door. Blizzard sat patiently at the door while Rika slipped on her sneakers. Then Rika stood and opened the door. She had to pull back on Blizzard's leash to stop her from going berserk.  

"Calm down would you," she said exasperatedly as Blizzard hopped around. Rika sighed and opened the gate. She stepped out and shut it again. Blizzard was walking as far as her leash would allow, sniffing at everything she could see. Rika shook her head and walked towards the park, Blizzard trailing after her, still trying to sniff everything they passed. 

"Hey! Wait up!" Called a voice. Rika stopped and turned around. Ryo was running after them. Blizzard sniffed at Ryo as he stopped in front of Rika. Ryo bent over and looked at the tiny puppy. He rubbed her head and straightened himself up again. 

"Cute puppy," he said. "What's its name?" 

"Her name's Blizzard," Rika explained. Blizzard was jumping around Ryo and barking excitedly.

"She's a bit over-energetic," Rika said with a smirk. Ryo laughed.

"You can say that again," he grinned as Blizzard ran around his legs, tangling her leash around him. Ryo stepped out of her leash and walked along side of Rika. 

"You know Ryo, we have to stop meeting like this," Rika grinned. Ryo chuckled and shook his head. 

"It's not my fault you keep waking up the same time as me," he said. Rika rolled her eyes.

"I think it's _you_ who's waking up the same time as _me_," she said. 

"Well, you can't say you haven't enjoyed our little walks. Come on, admit it, you love me," Ryo said teasingly. Rika sighed in aggravation.

"Not gonna happen hero-boy," she said. Ryo grinned.

"Because it's not true or because you're too _scared_ to admit it?" He asked.

"Because it's not true," Rika said flatly. Ryo looked at her with a mock pout. 

"Does this mean you won't date me?" He asked playfully. Rika wrinkled up her nose. 

"Not in a million years," she said. 

"That hurts Rika," Ryo said, feigning a look of deep hurt. 

"Does it?" Rika asked. "Well good then." Ryo grinned at her and laughed.

"You know Rika," he said after a few seconds, "you should leave your hair down more often. It looks nice like that." Rika stopped dead in her tracks. It had only just occurred to her that she had forgotten to tie up her hair now that he had mentioned it. She thrust Blizzard's leash at Ryo and quickly pulled her hair up into a spiky ponytail. Ryo's face fell and he made a mental note to keep his mouth shut the next time Rika left her hair down; on purpose or otherwise. He handed Blizzard's leash back to Rika and she tugged on it so that the puppy would follow her again. She had been sniffing at a bed of flowers and had stopped walking. Ryo looked down at the puppy.

"I take it you got her last night?" He said enquiringly.

"Yeah, my mom said that she thought I needed a friend at home since she's hardly ever there," Rika explained. Ryo nodded in understanding. Rika's mom and grandma were always out because of the business Rumiko was in and this pretty-much left Rika alone all of the time. 

"Say Ryo," Rika said after a while of silent walking. 

"Yeah Wildcat?" He answered. Rika adjusted Blizzards leash and then looked up at Ryo.

"I was wondering. Do you still keep your Digivice with you?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course. You never know when some random Digimon might decide to come to the real world. You know me. I like to stay prepared," Ryo said matter-of-factly. "Why do you ask?" 

"I told you. I was just wondering because…it's funny, I can almost feel Renamon again," Rika said, more to herself than to Ryo. He looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean you can _feel_ her?" He asked. Rika looked up at him.

"Well, I've never told anyone this before, but Renamon and I had this…connection. It was strange; we could speak to each other without really talking. You know, with our minds," Rika explained. Ryo cupped his chin in thought.

"You mean like a psychic connection?" He asked. Rika nodded. 

"No matter how far apart we were, I could always call her if I needed her and I could always feel her presence," she said. "When she and the other Digimon went back to the Digital world, I lost my connection with her, but like I said before, it's almost like I can feel her again, like I know she's close but I don't know where she is." Ryo watched Rika for a few second. Was it possible that the Digimon were coming back? Maybe it was them causing all the electrical disturbances. He sighed and looked back at Rika. She was watching Blizzard walk along the path. 

As they reached the subway, Rika lifted Blizzard into her arms. They bought their tickets and boarded the train. Blizzard became oddly calm as they sat in the semi-full train cart. All she did was sniff around a bit while she sat quietly in Rika's lap. The train slowed to a halt and Rika and Ryo climbed off. As soon as they had left the station and Rika had put her down, Blizzard went bounding around again, like she had never been outside in her life. With some minor tugging, Rika and Ryo managed to persuade Blizzard to follow them to the park, where the other Tames were waiting for them.

"How cute! A puppy!" Jeri squealed as she caught sight of Blizzard. She ran over to Rika and lifted the puppy into her arms. 

"It's so adorable!"  Jeri said sweetly. Blizzard licked her nose making Jeri giggle with pleasure. 

"Oh look! It likes me!" She said happily. Rika raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Jeri, calm down. I swear, you're more energetic than Blizzard is," she said in disgust. Takato walked over and looked down at Blizzard. 

"Is it yours?" He asked Rika. Rika nodded. 

"Yeah, my mother bought her for me yesterday," Rika explained. Jeri set the puppy down and Rika untied her leash. Blizzard ran around Rika and Ryo's legs, occasionally barking at a bird or butterfly. Henry, who had been sitting on a bench nearby, reading a rather thick book, walked over to them. Blizzard sniffed at him once or twice and then went back to running laps around Rika and Ryo. 

"Hey guys," Henry said as he looked up at Rika and Ryo. 

"Hey Henry," Ryo said. His eyes fell on the book in Henry's hand. "What are you reading?" He asked. Henry looked down at the book.

"Oh, I have a test on Monday and I haven't studied for it yet," he explained. 

"It's the weekend and your still studying?" Said Kazu, who looked thoroughly disgusted. 

"What's _wrong_ with you?" Kenta asked incredulously. He and Kazu were playing the Digimon card game at a picnic table. 

"Nothing. I just want to be prepared, that's all," Henry said defiantly. 

"Well, you can prepare later, 'cause we came here to have some fun, not to study!" Kazu said as he put down his card. Henry frowned and snapped his book shut.

"So what are we going to do today?" Ryo asked as he ran his fingers through his hair, making it look oddly windswept and spiky. Rika glanced at him and rolled her eyes. 

"I was thinking we go have an ice-cream or something," Jeri said.

"That sounds good," Takato agreed. 

"Yeah, count me in," Kazu grinned. 

"What do you think Rika?" Jeri asked.

"Sure, whatever," she said plainly. Ryo grinned.

"I'm in if she is," he said. Rika raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head. 

"Right then. It's settled," Henry said. "Ice-cream it is."

*~*~*~*~*~*

A pair of blazing red eyes pierced the darkness of an abyss of evil. Long claws sliced the walls, eager to rip, to tear…to kill. 

"It is time…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika stared up at the large building in front of her. Her worst nightmare was looming down upon her. A shopping mall… She shuddered at the thought of how many times her mother had forced her into dresses in this place and places like it. 

"Just try it on. Once you see how lovely you look in it, I'm sure you'll want it," said Rumiko's voice. Rika shuddered again.

"Hey! Are you coming or not?" Called a voice. She shook her head clear of her thoughts and looked up to see Ryo watching her. 

"Yeah…sure," she said and followed him inside. The ice-cream parlor was on the top floor, which happened to be four floors up. They took the elevators up to the floor below the top floor. The elevators did not go to the top floor, which was only accessible by using the stairs or escalators. As they stepped out, Rika stopped as someone called her name. She looked around and spotted her grandma sitting at a small coffee shop with some of her friends. Rika groaned inwardly and walked over, her own friends following her. 

"Hi grandma," she said. Blizzard barked sweetly from her arms. 

"Hello Rika. What are you doing here?  You hate malls," Her grandma asked curiously.

"I'm going to the ice-cream shop with my friends," Rika explained. "I would have left Blizzard at home if I'd known, but it was a spur of the moment decision." Her grandmother nodded and smiled.

"Well, give her to me and I'll take her home. I'm going right after I've finished my coffee," she said. Rika put the puppy down at her grandmother's feet and handed her the leash. 

"Thanks grandma. I'll see you later," she said and walked away. Her grandma called a quick goodbye to her, drained her cup of the little that was left, paid for her coffee and left the shopping mall. 

Rika stepped onto the escalator behind Ryo. It took them up to the very top floor where the movies and entertainment area's where. This was also where you would find the ice-cream parlors and take-out restaurants. The Tamers walked over to a small ice-cream shop called _Moto Bene!_ It was in the very center of the floor and the seats were organized around the tiny _kitchen_. It was an open place that was basically a small stand in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of chairs and tables. Rika sat down opposite Jeri and beside Ryo. 

"Can I take your orders?" Said a girl of about sixteen. She was wearing a white apron over a dark green dress that had the parlors name printed over the left chest pocket. She pulled a small book and a pen out of the pouch on the front of her apron and readied herself to right down what they wanted.

"I'll have four milkshakes, a banana split and a chocolate sundae," Kazu said.

"KAZU!" The Tamers all yelled. He winced and sighed.

"Fine! I'll have the banana spilt and _one_ chocolate milkshake then." The waitress chuckled and wrote down his order. The rest of the Tamers gave her their orders and they sat chatting while they waited. Their ice creams came in a surprisingly short time, considering the size of the café. Rika sat staring idly over the balcony, which over looked the entire shopping mall, right down to the bottom floor, where you could find more restaurants. If you had to look over the balcony, you would see the tables and chairs of another open café. Rika turned back to her fudge sundae in time to see Ryo take her cherry. She frowned at him playfully and he just shrugged before popping the cherry into his mouth. Rika shook her head and took a bite of her sundae. Kazu, who had been watching this, frowned suspiciously.

"Didn't you see him take your cherry?" He asked Rika. She looked up at Kazu. 

"Off course I saw him take it. I'm not blind you know," she snapped. 

"Well why didn't you hit him…or yell at him for it?" Kazu asked. Rika shrugged lightly.

"Why should I yell at him for taking my cherry? He knows I don't like them," she said simply. Kazu shook his head at her.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. You are crazier than catfish." He shook his head again and went back to his banana split. Ryo chuckled and grinned at Rika who just ignored Kazu and took another bite of her sundae. 

Rika was just sitting, stirring the last bits of melted ice cream in her tall glass when the floor beneath her started shaking slightly. 

"What was that?" Jeri asked nervously. 

"I don't know, it was too small to be an earthquake," Henry said. They all froze as they heard terrified screams echoing around the mall from one of the lower floors. Rika sprang off her seat and ran over to the balcony. Leaning over far, she scanned the lower floors to see what was going on. She gasped as her eyes fell on the problem. Ryo was at her side now, looking over the balcony too. 

"What is it?" He asked. 

"Over there, look!" She said, pointing to something that was two floors below them. Ryo followed her gaze and he gasped too. For two floors down on the balcony beside the elevators, was a big pale-grey cloud. Rika stared at it in shock.

"A digital field!" She said. She looked at Ryo who pulled out his digivice andgrinned. Rika pulled out her own and nodded at him. They ran to the stairs and instead of running down, Rika hopped onto the banister and slid down. 

"Are you guys crazy!?" Jeri called as Ryo reached the bottom. "You'll be killed! You don't have your digimon partners with you!" Rika and Ryo ignored her and slid down the rails of the next stairs as well. Jeri sighed and followed them. Takato and Henry looked at each other and then went after Jeri. Kazu and Kenta were still sitting at the table, refusing to move. 

"Come on you two!" Henry called back to them as he reached the stairs. He turned and ran down after Takato and Jeri. Kazu looked at Kenta and sighed. 

"I suppose we have no choice," Kenta said, gulping in fear. They got up and hurried towards the stairs. 

"Hey! You haven't paid yet!" The waitress called after them. Kazu turned when he reached the stairs.

"If we live through this, we'll be back to pay you!" He called and then he followed Kenta down to the other Tamers. 

Rika had reached the cloud and she was trying to see inside it. Ryo was standing at her side.

"After you," he grinned. She smiled at him adventurously, slipped her sunglasses on and was about to step inside when they heard the earsplitting noise of metal being ripped apart. The cloud burst apart to reveal a Digimon about four feet taller than they were. It looked a lot like a cat, but it had a reptilian body. Long, razor-like claws tipped its long black arms. Its reptilian body was a murky green-grey and its cattish face was grey. The eyes were an evil red that had slits for pupils. The long tail had sickly yellow spikes that ran along it and up onto its back. It growled menacingly as it drew its long blade-like claws through the escalator. The people inside were screaming in fear and ducking away from the blades. The Digimon tore off the elevator door and ripped it apart. The people that were inside the elevator ran out and away from the Digimon. It laughed maniacally at them.

"Yes, run you filthy creatures. Run in fear from your demise!" It said in a growling voice. 

"So it speaks," Rika said calmly. The Digimon turned its red eyes on her. 

"What else can you do? Dance?" She said scathingly. 

"You dare to taunt me?!" The Digimon roared angrily. "I am Tuzeremon, new master of the real world!" 

"Yeah, yeah," Rika said in a bored tone. "Tell someone who cares." The Digimon's already red eyes turned a deeper crimson.

"Look, just tell us what you want already. I don't have time for this," Rika said in annoyance.  

"I am here on the order of my master! I must find and destroy the Digimon murderer!" Tuzeremon growled. 

"The Digimon murderer? What the heck is a Digimon murderer?" Ryo asked. Tuzeremon laughed again.

"Do not act as if you do not know of this filth," he roared.

"Seriously, we have no idea what you're talking about," Takato said.

"Lies! Enough talk. I must do my master's bidding. DESTROY!!" He ran at them and they had to dive out of his way. Kazu and Kenta ducked behind the counter of a kitchen accessories shop. Jeri, Takato and Henry ran behind an odds and ends cart. Rika and Ryo simply sidestepped him. Tuzeremon roared in annoyance. 

"Annoying beast! Stand still!" He shouted. Rika laughed as if the idea was ludicrous. 

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll stand still so you can slice me like a salami," she said sarcastically. Tuzeremon turned to her angrily. 

"You shall pay for your insolence!" He snarled. He shot at her and she only just had time to duck out of his way. He turned and ran at her again. This time, she had no time to move. He was going to hit her and when he did, he would slice her into mincemeat. He was inches from her when he suddenly stopped. A whip-like beam of blue light was holding him back. Rika looked up to see Ryo fighting to keep his hold on his Digivice. The whip was coming from the tip of it and he had wrapped it around Tuzeremon's tail. He was just out of claws reach of Rika.

"Rika! Move! He's too strong!" Ryo yelled. 

She ducked away from him just as Ryo lost his grip and the whip disappeared. Tuzeremon roared angrily and he rounded on Takato, Jeri and Henry. He shot at them instead and they ran away just as he burst through the cart, breaking it into tiny pieces. They ran in different directions and Tuzeremon chased after Takato. He was faster than Takato and was gaining on him quickly. Suddenly, a giant pan flew out of nowhere and hit Tuzeremon square in the face, followed by pots, knives and more pans. He covered his face with his arms and growled angrily. Kazu and Kenta were throwing everything they could reach in the kitchen shop at him. Tuzeremon roared angrily and started swiping the kitchen accessories away from him. 

"Leave - Takato - alone!" Kazu yelled, pausing at each word as he threw another pot or pan. Ryo readied his Digivice to use the whip again, but Tuzeremon dodged it as Ryo threw it at him. He lashed out with his spiked tail and it struck Ryo across his stomach, throwing him against the wall. He slid down it and didn't get up. Rika stared at him in shock. She moved as if she wanted to go to him, but Tuzeremon jumped in between her and Ryo. He raised his arms.

"Arrow Catastrophe!" He yelled. A hundred red and yellow arrows burst from the palms of his hands and flew at Rika. She dived out of the way and landed near the wreck of the cart Takato had hidden behind with Jeri and Henry. Tuzeremon was taking slow, heavy steps toward her, crushing deep footprints into the tiles as he went. He stopped as a paintball hit him on the side of his face. He turned to see Henry holding a paintball gun in his hands.

"Come to Terry's Toys. You'll have so much fun you'll be begging for more!" Henry said in an advertising manner as he quoted the stores slogan. He shot two more paintballs at Tuzeremon and they hit him in his eyes. Tuzeremon screamed in pain and covered his eyes with his clawed hands, trying desperately to rub the paint out of them. Rika, who was still lying by the cart rubble, turned as something caught her eye. It was something that had fallen of the cart when Tuzeremon had smashed it. She grinned and grabbed it. "Hey you! Bright eyes!" She yelled as she got to her feet. Tuzeremon looked over to her and growled. She was holding a triple crossbow in her hand and it was loaded. 

"Having fun yet?" She asked. She pulled back on the trigger and all three arrows flew at Tuzeremon. He roared and charged at Rika, straight at the arrows. They hit him in the chest and he yelled out in pain. Rika was still reloading the crossbow when he charged at her again. He rammed into her with such a force that he ran right through the banisters and they both went over the balcony. Rika grabbed the balcony and screamed in pain as Tuzeremon grabbed her leg. His long claws sunk into her leg as he held onto her. Rika kicked out at him with her free leg, but he just gripped her leg tighter, digging his claws deeper into her skin. She kicked out again, but she was using all her energy just holding onto the balcony. Tuzeremon was heavier than he looked.

"Haven't you ever heard of wait-watchers tubby?" She cried. Her hands were slipping and fast. She was holding on with just her fingers now. The Tamers were all running to her, but they were to far away. She was about to lose her grip. A bright blue light flashed past her as it whipped across Tuzeremon's snout. He yelped in pain and let go of Rika's leg. Rika's hand slipped and she fell too, but the whip flicked back and wrapped itself around her waist and she grabbed it. Tuzeremon fell down the three floors to the bottom of the mall. People who had been watching from the bottom floor screamed and ran out of the way. Tuzeremon slammed into the tables and chairs in a cloud of dust. Rika looked down as it cleared and there, lying on the floor was Tuzeremon. He had fallen on the corner of an upturned table and the steel leg had gone right through his chest. 

"No! Beaten by mere children! I had it my grasp! We will get you Digimon murderer!" He shouted and then his data burst into tiny fragments. Rika felt the whip tug upwards and she looked up. Ryo was pulling up the whip that was coming from his Digivice. He pulled her up and helped her onto the balcony. 

"Ryo! You're okay!" She said breathlessly. He had to help her stand because her leg was badly hurt and bleeding heavily. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. Not that you could say as much," he said, looking her over. She was covered in dirt and bruises from the crash through the banister. 

"I'll be fine," she said, wincing slightly as she stepped. The other Tamers ran over to them.

"Are you guys okay?" Takato asked. Ryo helped Rika onto a bench and sat down beside her.

"Never better Takato," Rika said in a strained voice. She looked around at the battlefield. They had destroyed half the area in their fight. Rika groaned and sank deeper into the bench.

"Cheque please!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ouch! That stings," Rika winced as the paramedics dabbed a cloth, soaked in yellow liquid, at her leg. Someone had called 911 during the fight and the paramedics were now seeing to the injuries the Tamers had gotten. The cut on Ryo's stomach wasn't to deep, but it was long and they were wrapping bandages around it. 

"You were lucky young lady," the doctor said to Rika. She looked up at him incredulously. 

"Lucky?" She asked. The doctor nodded.

"If these had gone any deeper you would be stuck in a wheelchair or on crutches. Right now all you need is a few stitches," he explained. Rika sighed in relief. He wrapped her leg in some bandages and told her to stay on the stretcher she was sitting on so that they could take her to the hospital. Rika nodded and sighed in annoyance as he walked away. Ryo thanked his doctor and hopped of the stretcher he was sitting on. He walked over to Rika and sat down bedside her. 

"So, what's your diagnosis?" He asked. Rika sighed again.

"Stitches, you?" She asked, looking at the bandage covering his stomach. 

"The doctor said I'll be okay in a few days," he said simply. Jeri came over to them and sat down as well. She had a small plaster on her arm and a bump on her head, but that was about it. 

"How are you doing Rika?" She asked.

"I have to go to the hospital for some stitches, but other than that I'm fine," she said. 

"What's wrong with Takato?" Ryo asked. He was sitting on another stretcher, holding a bag of ice over his head.

"Oh," Jeri giggled. "Kenta accidentally hit him in the head with a frying pan. He said he was aiming at Tuzeremon but he missed." Rika and Ryo laughed and Rika shook her head. She and Ryo looked over to where Kazu and Kenta were giving the police a very enthusiastic blow-by-blow description of what had happened. The doctor walked over to them and smiled. 

"Well miss, we've contacted your mother and she's going to meet you at the hospital," he said to Rika. She groaned. 

"Great, I'm gonna get yelled at for this for sure," she sighed. 

"Don't worry Wildcat," Ryo said soothingly. "I'm sure your mom'll just be glad that you're okay."  Rika gave a bark of dry laughter.

"I wish," she said lying back and covering her eyes. Ryo laughed at her and shook his head. The doctor turned to him.

"Your father said he's going to meet you at the hospital too," he said. Ryo stopped laughing and grimaced. This was not gonna be pretty. 

"Well, now that that's settled, I think we should get going. Your leg needs seeing to," the doctor said, looking at Rika.

"Sure, whatever," she said half-heartedly as she sat up. She made a move to get off the stretcher, but the doctor held her back. 

"You shouldn't use that leg until it's been properly treated," he said sternly. Rika sighed and sat back down. Jeri jumped off the stretcher and said goodbye to Ryo and Rika as the doctor wheeled them towards the ambulance van. They were loaded inside and the doctors climbed in after them. 

Rika sat on the hospital bed, wincing slightly as her doctor injected local anesthetic into her leg. Within seconds her leg had gone completely numb. She looked away as the doctor started threading a needle threw the cuts on her leg, pulling the skin together. Ryo, who was sitting beside her, was trying to keep her mind off the needle by talking to her, but the fact that he kept glancing over at it and wincing wasn't helping her. Once the doctor had finished, he wrapped her leg in fresh bandages and told her to sit still for a while. They hadn't been in the room for two minutes after that when Rumiko burst into the room. She ran over to Rika and threw her arms around her. "Oh thank _goodness _you're okay! When Cocoa said that you were in the hospital I got so scared!" She said, holding onto Rika as if her life depended on it. Rika gasped for air.

"Mom…if you don't…let me go…I _won't_ be okay!" She cried out. 

"For heavens sake Rumiko, calm down. You're suffocating the poor girl," said Rika's grandmother from the door. Rumiko let go of Rika, who rubbed her neck and took a few deep breaths. Ryo snickered at her. She glared at him and he stopped, but he seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. 

Rumiko had tears flowing over her cheeks but her face suddenly became stern.

"Explain yourself!" She said angrily. Rika gulped and looked at Ryo for help. He gave Rumiko a fleeting look and then looked back at Rika. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the door swung open and a very angry looking Mr. Akiyama walked into the room. He only had to glare at Ryo to get him out of the room. Ryo said a quick goodbye to Rika and her mother and grandmother and then left the room, giving his dad an apprehensive glance. 

"Well?" Rumiko asked as Ryo shut the door behind him. Rika sighed and explained to her mother and grandmother about Tuzeremon.

"You mean those awful creatures are coming back? I thought we were over this problem already!" Rumiko said in distress. Rika looked up at her mother.

"So did I mom, but I can't stop them from coming back and when they _do_ appear it's up to me and my friends to stop them," Rika said. Rumiko looked horrified.

"What do you mean!? Why do you have to do it?" She asked. 

"Because she's the only one capable," said Rika's grandmother. "Remember when they fought that pink thing? Not even the army could hurt it. So it really is up to her and her friends." Rumiko looked between her mother and daughter. 

"There is _no_ way I'm letting you fight these thing again! I don't want to lose you," she said, throwing her arms around Rika. 

"Let me go mom!" Rika gasped. "I'll be fine. I survived last time didn't I?" Rumiko pulled away from her.

"Yes, but last time you had Renamon with you and you said that she went back to the Digital world. No! I won't let you fight and that's final!" 

"Rumiko would you calm down. I don't want Rika to get hurt either, but she really is the only one who can do something about this," said Rika's grandmother. Rumiko sighed in frustration.

"Fine! We'll talk about this later. Let's just go home," she said. Rika hopped off the bed and followed her mother and grandmother out of the room.

_Well, that went well_, she thought cynically. 

A/N And so it begins…I'm sorry about the long wait. I was at my grans house for two weeks and the closets thing she has to a computer is a microwave. 

Anyway…I hope you guys liked this chapter. The Tamers are in for a rough time. I Love torture…*evil laugh*. 

Thank you to:

Kaoruhimura- what does onegai mean?

Kira- I fixed my mistakes.

Procrastiatorman()

Akino Matoumiken

DigiqueenTMIM

Sweet-Calmness

Dark-Angel

RukiMakino

Tache

Viximon()

Psycho-Kyugirl

DigiFreak103

Linkin Park ()

Love you guys. Thanks for reviewing!!!


	4. Digital Reunion

A/N- Hello!!! I'm finally back! I hope you guys are enjoying this so far and I hope Kira got to read her chapter cause this just replaced it! Hehe. If you didn't read it, tell me and I'll put it up again. ;)  Anywho, nothing else to say so…on with the show…er, I mean…story. ;D 

Chapter 3

Digital Reunion

Rika sat staring at the blackboard. Her Physics teacher was explaining something about the reactions of metals with oxygen and water. Her gaze was becoming unfocused and she could feel herself drifting off. She shook her head and tried to concentrate. But all she could think of was her strange weekend. A card battle with Ryo (which she had one) and a fight with a real Digimon. How strange. Something poked her sharply in the side and Rika was snapped out of her daydream of the battle. She opened her eyes and saw a note on her desk. Her name was written on the front in a very untidy, yet very familiar handwriting. She looked up at Ryo who was pretending to listen to the teacher while he doodled in his book. Rika looked back down at the letter and took it. She opened it and read.

_Hey Rika, _

_Takato and the others wanted to talk to us at the park today. You in? _

_Ryo_

Rika raised an eyebrow at this. Well it was obvious what Takato wanted to talk about. Whoever or whatever this Digimon Murderer was and why the Digimon were looking for it in the real world. Rika glanced at Ryo again. He was looking up at the blackboard with a very bored look in his eyes. She frowned at this. How did he manage to get such high marks in this lesson if he hardly ever paid attention? Rika shook her head and took out her pen. She flipped over the note Ryo had given her and wrote:

_Sure, I'm in. Meet me at the pond after school. _

Then Rika folded the note, scribbled his name on it and sent it back. She watched as the students passed it around until it finally reached him. Rika grinned to herself. 

_The _wonders_ of the classroom mailing service_, she smirked. Ryo opened the note and read it to himself. He looked over at Rika and gave her a quick nod before he started doodling in his book again. Rika sighed in boredom and picked up her pencil. She pulled out a piece of paper on the pretext of looking for her notes. She looked down at her page and smiled. She had been spending a few days trying to draw this and it was almost done. All she had to do where the ears and the marking under the eyes and her picture of Renamon would be complete. It hadn't been hard to remember exactly what she had looked like. Rika could still remember everything. And to top it off, her feelings that Renamon was nearby were getting stronger. Just yesterday, she had thought she could almost hear her in her head. Like she was talking to her with the connection they shared. But the feeling had gone after her mother had yelled at her for ignoring her. 

Rika traced her pencil carefully across the page in zigzagging lines as she drew the purple marks under Renamon's blue eyes. She paused for a moment to admire the effect and then carried on. She moved her hand to the top of the page and traced in the long ears. Finally, she added the zigzags that indicated the white marks on the tips of Renamon's ears. Rika smiled in satisfaction as she looked down at her work. It was a very good likeness and she had managed to get it in the right proportion. Now all she had to do was add the color and she would be done. Rika raised her arm and checked the time on her watch. The bell would go for the end of class in about five minutes. 

_No use starting now_, she thought as she packed away her books. There was a sudden rustling for bags as the entire class followed Rika's example. The teacher, who had started explaining that Copper didn't react in either water or steam, sighed in defeat as the class packed away. 

"Don't forget your test tomorrow! I have set the pass mark to ninety percent on this one. Don't groan at me Mitsuki!" He said, his eyes straying to a boy with black hair who had groaned loudly and dropped his head on his table. "Remember, for every one percent below ninety, you will write out the entire table on page one hundred and seventy seven. No excuses! It is simply memorizing so I shouldn't see anything less than the passing rate!" Rika sighed and stood up from her chair as the bell rung. 

_Great_, she thought bitterly. _I better get my paper ready cause there is _no _way I'm gonna pass this one_. She looked up and saw Ryo walking over to her. 

"I thought I said meet me at the _pond_," Rika said as she raised an eyebrow at him. Ryo just shrugged and smiled. 

"I figured that I'd save us both the walk," he said simply, a grin overtaking his smile. Rika sighed and shook her head at him.

"By the way, do you mind if we go straight there?" She asked as they left the class. Ryo looked down at her curiously.

"Why? Don't you want to change first?" He asked.

"Actually, yes I do. But my mom has been hinting at taking me for another camera test and knowing her, she'll be waiting when I get home," Rika explained. Ryo smiled at her knowingly.

"And you figure that if you get home late she'll have already left. Am I right?" Rika nodded and Ryo grinned. 

"Alright Wildcat. If it'll get you out of it, then we'll go straight there." Rika grinned at Ryo and he could see the definite relief in her eyes. 

"Thanks, you're a life saver. I've been stalling for a week. I'm hoping she gets the hint and drops it soon," Rika sighed. Ryo cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What have you been telling her all this time?" He asked.

"Well, after the battle with Tuzeremon, I pretty much just had to tell her my leg hurt and she would leave me alone, but the idea is wearing off on her. Yesterday she said that if I was embarrassed about the bandages she would just get me a longer dress," Rika shuddered slightly and Ryo laughed. 

"You'll never change will you Rika," he grinned. Rika just shook her head.

"There is _no _way I'm putting on a dress ever again!" She said sharply. "And to make matters worse, the one she wants me to wear is _pink_!" Ryo shook his head at her and looked ahead of him again.

*~*~*~*~*~*

As Rika and Ryo walked into the park, they were met by a very disgruntled looking Takato. He was slightly red in the face and by the looks of it; Henry, Kazu and Kenta were trying to calm him down. 

"What's the matter with him?" Rika asked as Henry walked over to her and Ryo. 

"Something about Jeri," he said. "Apparently, they got in a fight and now she's not talking to him." Rika and Ryo looked at each other curiously. Jeri and Takato had always been best friends and had even started dating recently. Why on earth would they be fighting? Henry looked over at Takato who looked extremely dejected and upset. 

"I'll go talk to Jeri," Rika whispered. 

"Right, see if you can get her to talk. She won't tell me anything," Henry sighed. Ryo gave Rika a reassuring nod and she walked over to where Jeri was sitting against a tree with her legs pulled up to her chest. She seemed to be in a very bad mood, which was completely out of character for her. No matter how angry Jeri got, she would always hide it and put on a happy face. Whatever this was, it had to be bad.

Rika knelt down beside her.

"You okay?" She asked. Jeri looked up at Rika and sighed.

"No, I just had a fight with Takato and it's all my fault," she said sadly. Rika cocked an eyebrow at this.

"How do you mean?" She asked. Jeri sighed again.

"Well…I, I started my um…you know my…" she trailed off, her face going bright red. Rika however, understood what Jeri was trying to say.

"Oh…when did it happen?" She asked gently. Poor Jeri, this had to be tough on her, especially since she didn't have a mother to help her through it. When it had happened to Rika, her mother had been very sympathetic about the whole thing.  

"It started this morning," she whimpered. Rika nodded in understanding. 

"So what did you and Takato fight about?" She asked. Jeri sniffed and dropped her gaze.

"It was so stupid. Everything was just peachy at first. Takato was being really nice to me, but then he made a joke and I got all mad and…" She groaned sadly and looked away. Rika smiled at her kindly. She almost felt sorry for Takato. 

"Don't worry about it Jeri. You're gonna feel a little moody for a while so try not to take Takato's tactless jokes to seriously. Okay?" Jeri looked up at Rika and smiled weakly. 

"Thanks Rika, you're a real friend," she said. Suddenly she jumped and whimpered in pain. Rika looked at her concernedly.

"Does it hurt?" She asked. Jeri nodded quietly. 

"Don't worry, it'll pass soon," Rika whispered, putting a comforting hand on Jeri's shoulder. Jeri looked up at Rika curiously.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"I'm a year older than you Jeri. Trust me, I've experienced this before," Rika gave Jeri a slight wink and then stood up. She offered Jeri her hand and when she accepted it, Rika pulled her to her feet.

"Hey," Jeri said, wiping her eyes. "I just noticed, how come you're still wearing your school uniform?" Rika looked down at her white blouse and grey skirt. 

"Oh, she laughed. Ryo and I decided to come here straight from school. If I'd gone home first, my mom would've dragged me off for my fashion début." Jeri chuckled and smiled at Rika. 

"Come on. I think Goggle-head has had enough torture for one day," Rika smiled. Jeri looked up at her and nodded. Rika walked back over to Ryo and Henry and they watched as Jeri apologized to Takato. 

"So what was the problem?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, what did Takato do this time?" Henry asked.

"I really don't think it's something you would understand," Rika smirked as she watched Jeri and Takato walk over to them. 

"Right, now that we've sorted out today's argument, can we discuss what we're here for," Rika said. Takato looked up at Rika and Ryo. 

"Well, I was wondering if we could talk about this Digimon Murderer thing," he said.

"I thought so," Ryo grinned. "What do you think it is?" 

"That's just it. We haven't got a clue. We thought you guys might have an idea," Henry said. 

"Sorry, but we're as clueless on this one as you are," Rika shrugged.

"Well, do you think it might be some kind of Digimon?" Kenta asked. 

"Yeah! Like that freaky Tuzeremon!" Kazu grinned. Rika rolled her eyes at them.

"Don't be stupid. If it was a Digimon, then why would Tuzeremon be looking for it here?" She snapped. 

"Well it could be," Kenta mumbled. 

"I don't know Rika. I think Kazu and Kenta might be right on this one. After all, if one Digimon could come here, then what's to stop more from doing the same? How do we know that this Digimon Murderer isn't a Digimon after all?" Henry said as he cupped his chin in thought. 

"No, I think Rika has a point," Ryo said. "If another Digimon Bio-emerged, then our D-tectors would pick up on it. So if there are anymore Digimon in the real world, we would know about them." 

"Ryo's right," Takato said. "What if the Digimon Murderer is human?" 

"What if it's an alien from outer-space that's come to suck up our brains and its killing Digimon to get stronger," Kazu said excitedly. The Tamers all looked at him incredulously. 

"What?" He asked. Rika shook her head at him. 

"Anyway, if it is human, then who could it be?" She asked. 

"I dunno. Do you think maybe its Yamachi?" Takato suggested. 

"No, Yamachi helped us and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't try and destroy the Digimon again," Henry said.

"Last I heard he was using Hypnose to monitor the Digital World. My dad's been working with him a lot lately. He says Yamachi is trying to repair the damage that the D-Reaper caused," Ryo explained. 

"Your dad works with Yamachi?" Rika asked. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ryo flashed her his trademark smile.

"Cause you never asked Pumpkin," he grinned. Rika scowled at him. 

"This isn't the time you two," Henry said before Rika could retaliate. "Look, we need to find out as much as we can about this Digimon Murderer thing. If it is a Digimon, then it's probably going to be _really_ strong. We need to be prepared." Ryo looked over at Henry.

"If it threatens the Sovereign enough to send more Devas after it, then its probably gonna be to strong for us to handle it alone, even if it's human," he said.

"Ryo's right, we have to get the Digimon back," Rika said.

"How do propose we do that?" Kazu asked sarcastically. 

"Yeah, after all, the portal _is_ blocked now and there aren't any more in the city," Kenta said. 

"Kazu and Kenta have a good point," Takato sighed. ("For once," Rika muttered.)

"We have no way of getting back into the Digital World and there isn't anyway of contacting the Digimon from here," Takato continued. 

"But we still have to try right?" Jeri asked. "I mean, we can't just ignore it if a bunch of Digimon come and wreck the city again." 

"Well at the moment there isn't anything we can do about it Jeri. Winning that battle with Tuzeremon was just luck. I don't think we'll be able to beat all the Devas, even if we manage to beat any more at all," Henry looked out of the park. The traffic was getting heavier, which meant it had to be near five-o-clock.  

"It's getting late guys. Let's come back tomorrow and we'll talk about it again." Henry looked back at the Tamers who all nodded.

"Can I walk you home Wildcat?" Ryo asked as the others started leaving.

"Sure," Rika said with a shrug. "Hopefully my mom'll have dropped the camera test idea for today. Thanks for helping by the way." 

"No problem Wildcat," Ryo smiled. He looked up at the sky, which now had a slight tint of pink to it. It would start getting dark soon. He looked down at Rika, who was staring at the floor as she walked. 

"You know, I almost wish another Digimon would Bio-emerge tomorrow," he said. Rika looked up at him curiously.  

"Why would you wish that?" She asked. Ryo grinned at her.

"To get us out of that test," he chuckled. Rika laughed and shook her head.

"Fat chance of that happening. Nice thought though…" she said thoughtfully. "I haven't even started learning yet." Ryo raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're nuts, you know that? Mr. Ryumi is gonna have you writing out that table until you're fifty," he exclaimed. Rika shrugged nonchalantly. 

"So what, at least that way I'll learn it. Besides, the test really doesn't mean much to my grade anyway." She looked ahead of her and hitched her bag up a little. She suddenly paused for a second as if struck by a sudden thought. 

"I have hockey tomorrow," Rika groaned as she started walking again. Ryo looked down at her again.

"What's so bad about that?" He asked. 

"Nothing, I'm just not in the mood for it," she said.

"I'm sure you will be by tomorrow. Beside, your team needs you remember?" Rika looked up at Ryo, who was smiling cheekily.

"My team doesn't need _that_ much work. I'll have you know that we're still undefeated this season," Rika said defiantly. 

"Ha, that's all gonna change tomorrow," Ryo smirked.

"And why is that?" Rika asked shortly. Ryo grinned at her cheekily.

"Because, in case you've forgotten, tomorrow is the match between my team and yours," he chuckled. Rika's eyes widened.

"It's tomorrow? I thought it was scheduled for next week!" She said in shock. Ryo shrugged lightly at this.   

"Change of plans," he said simply. 

"Okay, so maybe I am in the mood for hockey," Rika smirked. "Cause I can't wait to wipe the floor with your team." Ryo laughed at this. 

"You can try, but my team doesn't exactly play nice, if you know what I mean," he said as he grinned at her.

"And you think mine does?" Rika laughed. 

"We'll see tomorrow then," Ryo said challengingly. 

"Sure thing Hero-boy," Rika grinned as they stopped at her front gate. She pulled it open and stepped inside before shutting it again. "Just do one thing for me." 

"What's that Wildcat?" Ryo asked. Rika grinned cheekily.

"Tell me what its like to find yourself on your back," she laughed and turned to walk into her house. Ryo chuckled and shook his head.

"Goodnight Rika," he called. She waved at him and stepped into her house. Ryo laughed quietly to himself and headed for his own house. The sky had become a little darker now, but the sun was still out and it had turned the once pale blue sky into a fiery pink. One or to stars dotted the dark blue that was looming threateningly over the pink and purple, but the lights in the city would drown out most of the others.

Rika sighed as she slipped of her school shoes and stepped onto the landing in her entrance hall. 

"I'm home," she called. 

"Your mother wants to speak to you Rika," said Rika's grandmother as she walked out of the kitchen. 

"If it's about the camera test, then I have nothing to talk to her about," Rika said flatly. Her grandmother sighed in defeat.

"Okay, I'll tell her, but she's not going to like it," she said. Rika watched her grandmother walk away and then turned to go to her room. As she shut her bedroom door behind her, she was suddenly knocked back into it. Rika looked down in surprise to find Blizzard leaning up against her, her tail wagging furiously. 

"What are you doing in my room?" Rika scowled. Blizzard cocked her head at Rika. Rika's eyes softened slightly.

"I guess you're kinda cute," she mumbled. Blizzard barked happily as Rika rubbed her head. 

"Okay, okay. Now get off me," Rika said as she shoved the puppy away from her. Blizzard jumped around Rika's legs as she tired to get to her wardrobe. She changed into her jeans and blue-sleeved shirt and left her room, Blizzard bounding after her happily. Rika walked into the kitchen where her grandmother was busy making dinner. Rumiko was sitting at the table reading a magazine, a very irritated look on her face. She looked up as Rika walked over to her grandmother to see what she was cooking.

"I'd like to have a word with you young lady," she said sternly. 

"About what?" Rika asked in annoyance, even though she knew perfectly well what is was her mother wanted to talk about. 

"You've been avoiding me for three days Rika. I just want you to _try_ being a model. This is your one chance to be as famous and successful as I am and your not even giving it a chance," Rumiko said in exasperation. Rika turned to her and crossed her arms. 

"I don't want to be a model mother. You know I don't, but you keep pressing me. And frankly I couldn't care about being famous or successful. I don't _want_ to be like you," she said hotly. Rumiko looked slightly dazed at this. But she recovered enough to glare furiously at Rika. 

"I just want you to _try_ it Rika. It won't kill you!" She shouted. 

"Well I don't want to try it! And if you ever make me stand in front of those stupid camera's again, I'll do more than just give the camera-man a black eye!" She yelled back. Blizzard cowered under the table at Rika's harsh tone. Rumiko was about to retaliate when her mother stepped in.

"That's enough! Both of you are acting like children!" She said sharply. Rika back off a little and crossed her arms angrily. She turned away from her mother and stared at the floor. Rumiko stood up and promptly left the room. Rika's grandmother sighed heavily and turned back to the stove. 

"I told you she'd get angry Rika," she said as Rika sat down at the table. 

"I know, but I just wish she would just leave me alone about it," Rika sighed. "I'm not like her grandma, I don't want to be a model and she knows it. She's trying to turn me into her." Rika's grandmother turned around and looked at Rika. 

"She just wants you to have something in common with her sweetheart. But you're so different. I think the only thing you have in common with her is your hot temper…and your eyes," she said softly. 

"And it's going to stay that way, cause I'm never going to be a model," Rika said as she looked up at her grandmother. "Not even for her."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika stood on the hockey field in her annoyingly short, grey hockey skirt and her white sleeveless cotton shirt. Her Surridge hockey stick twirled absently in her hands as she waited for the whistle to blow, signaling the start of the match. She could almost feel the eyes of all the boys on Ryo's team as they stared at her. If it weren't for the fact that she was having a staring contest with Ryo and that she was wearing black ski-pants, she would have found this really annoying. Ryo was grinning at her, willing her to blink, but Rika was stubborn and she refused to give in. Her eyes were watering now as the wind blew into them. Suddenly, she blinked and Ryo laughed in triumph. 

"Ha! I win Wildcat!" Hew said teasingly. Rika scowled at him and looked around her. All the boys were still staring at her. She grinned to herself. 

_Perfect_, she thought._ They'll be so busy trying to look up our skirts; they won't pay much attention to the match_. She chuckled lightly to herself. She looked up at the crowd. Her grandmother was standing at the side of the field…alone.

_Typical, mom's probably at another stupid fashion show_, Rika thought bitterly. She looked back at Ryo. He was standing directly in front of her. They were both captains and both centers. It was up to them to start the game and claim possession of the ball for their teams. The small white ball was placed in between them and as the referee backed away, she blew a short blast on her whistle. Rika immediately swung her stick low and hard. The ball shot to her side and a girl with a long blonde braid stopped it and ran forward. Rika moved as fast as she could to the other end of the field. Ryo was tailing her; ready to stop her if the ball got to close to her. The blonde girl passed the ball to a girl with lots of freckles, but one of the boys picked it up and ran back to the goals. The teams were shouting encouragement and orders to their teammates as they fought for possession of the ball. Rika swiped her stick viciously at the boy who had the ball, aiming directly for his ankles and he jumped out of the way. Rika took her chance and claimed the ball. Hitting it as hard as she could, she watched as it shot passed four boys before one of her teammates picked it up. 

"Cover her!" One of the boys shouted. Rika ran out of the way of one of the boys who had moved to block her. She was now standing near the goals, waiting for the ball. The path was open, her teammate hit the ball and Rika claimed it. She ran closer to the goals, swung back her stick and flung it back at the ball. Just before she made contact, she was thrown backwards as a body flew head on into her. She fell back, sprawled on the grass. The boy who had tackled her was lying on top of her and his head was lying high up on her chest, pressing hard on the bulge under her shirt. They were both winded and had both lost their sticks. Rika looked up to see that the ball had swung wildly away from the goal box. Breathing heavily, she looked at who had knocked her over. And there, staring at her with a stupid grin on his face…was Ryo. His team was cheering him on for his daring and very stupid act.

"Nice one Ryo!" One of them called.

"You having fun with our captain darling?" Another laughed. The boys broke into heavy laughter. Rika's face went bright red and she shoved Ryo off her. She got up and looked around for her stick. 

"Here." Rika looked up and saw Ryo holding out her stick. She snatched it, adjusted her skirt and furiously shoved past him. One of the girls gave the ball to Rika. The referee had ordered a penalty shot to the girls for an obstruction. Rika put the ball down in front of the goals. The goalie wasn't allowed to move until Rika had hit the ball. She took a step back and in one fluid motion, she went down on one knee and swiped her stick at the ball. The side of her stick connected with the hard surface of the ball and it shot forward. The goalie dived at it as it flew for the goals. He missed and the ball hit the back of the goal with a loud bang. It bounced back and landed on the ground behind Rika. She turned and glared at Ryo. 

_Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time_, he thought. He watched as Rika stalked past him, her furious glare still in place. The faced each other again at the center of the filed. The ball was placed in between them. They were staring at each other. Rika furiously and Ryo apologetically. The sparks were flying. The tension was building. The whistle rang across the field and Ryo took the ball. He passed it to his right half. The boy ran with it for a few feet then shot it one of his teammates. In a blast of newfound energy, born from her rage, Rika intercepted the ball less than a foot away from the boy who had meant to get the ball and turned three hundred and sixty degrees to avoid him. Then she hit the ball as hard as she could and it flew across the field. Ryo stopped it and sent it to another boy. Rika growled at him and waited as the rest of the two teams battled for control. Suddenly, the ground shook and there was a loud bang. Rika stumbled and had to lean on her hockey stick to stop herself from falling. She looked up and her eyes widened with horror. A giant digital field was forming on the soccer field and it was getting bigger with every passing second. Rika looked over at Ryo and they both nodded. Anger and guilt aside, they both sprinted off the hockey field. Rika ran at top speed to her backpack and grabbed her D-Tector from inside it. Ryo snatched his own and the two of them ran to the soccer field. The soccer boys were running back towards the school and Rika and Ryo had a hard time getting through the crowd they had formed. AS they got nearer the cloud, Rika abruptly stopped. Her eyes were wide and she looked slightly out of breath. Ryo looked at her worriedly. 

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

"It's Renamon!" Rika said in a kind of breathless whisper. "I can feel her!" Without another word, Rika ran into the digital field. Ryo watched her, slightly shocked at her words, but he regained his composure and followed Rika into the Digital Field. He looked around and saw Rika standing just a little way away from her. He ran over to her and looked around. There didn't seem to be anything there. Rika was holding up her D-Tector and the info display was revolving with an odd whirring beep. 

"I don't get it. There's nothing here," she said as she looked up. Ryo lifted his own D-Tector and held it out as the round info display appeared. Suddenly, a blur shot past him and he stumbled back. A picture formed on his D-Tector and he looked down at it eagerly. 

"Ghiuramon," he read aloud. Rika looked over to him. "A Virus Beast type. His special attacks are Hell Fire and Meteor Strike. Oh great, he's an Ultimate!" Rika moved closer to Ryo as the blur dashed past her. 

"This could be bad," Rika muttered. They stood there in anticipation, when a voice suddenly boomed across the field.

"Pitiful humans! Did you really think that you could defeat me alone?" Rika and Ryo turned towards the voice. A giant form loomed out of the hazy cloud. Rika and Ryo both stepped back as the Digimon advanced on them. He was even taller than Tuzeremon had been and he looked much stronger. His body was humanoid, but his face was that of an eagle. His arms were long and muscular and long strips of green fabric were tied around them, the loose ends hanging down to his hands. His fur-covered skin was deep crimson and his long eagle wings were a darkish brown. His legs were long and human-like but he had eagles claws for feet and long black talons tipped his long toes. His face was the same crimson as his body and his beak was yellow tipped with black. His most striking features were his deep green eyes that seemed to radiate hatred and fire.

"Do you fear me so much?" He asked with a slight chuckle as he watched them back away. "It is wise to fear what you know will defeat you." Ghiuramon laughed out loud and raised his arms. A huge ball of blackish fire formed in between his hands. In the midst of the flames was a massive boulder. 

"Meteor Strike!" He shouted. He threw the meteor through the air and it flew at Rika and Ryo. Rika shut her eyes as she waited for her definite death. Suddenly, she felt to arms close around her and then she was flying through the air. She felt herself land hard on the ground, with something covering her body. Rika opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes widened slightly. She was being shielded by a thick mass of yellow and white fur. 

"Are you alright?" Asked a very familiar voice; one Rika hadn't heard in over one and a half years. She nodded numbly and accepted the hand that was offered to her to help her stand. Rika stared at Renamon wide-eyed. Before she could stop herself, Rika had thrown her arms around Renamon's neck and was hugging her tightly. Renamon smiled lightly and hugged Rika back.

"I knew I could feel your presence Renamon. It's so good to see you again!" 

"It is good to see you too Rika, but we have a battle to fight now." She released Rika and turned to Ghiuramon. He was fending off another form that was moving very quickly and with incredible skill. The form jumped out of the way of an attack and swiped its claws through the air. 

"Desolation Claw!" Rika watched as Cyberdramon's hands glowed green. He brought them together and hundreds of blasts erupted from them. Ryo moved over to Rika.

"You okay?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of his Digimon partner. 

"Yeah," Rika said. Renamon had joined in the fray now and was using her 'Diamond Storm' attack on Ghiuramon. 

"Hell Fire!" A massive explosion engulfed the entire area. Rika and Ryo covered their eyes and turned away from the bright light. The dust settled and Rika looked back at the battlefield. Renamon was nowhere in sight and neither was Cyberdramon.

_No_, Rika thought in distress. _She can't be gone. Not so soon! _

"Rika, I'm still here," said a strained voice. Rika looked down and found Renamon at her feet. Rika dropped to her knees and knelt beside her friend. 

"He's too strong," Renamon whispered.

"Then we'll just have to fight him together," Rika said determinately. Renamon looked up at her and nodded. She struggled to her feet and turned to Rika. Rika looked over at Ryo, who was helping Cyberdramon to his feet. He turned to her and nodded. Rika looked down at her D-Tector and took a deep breath. 

"Bio-merge activate!" A bright blue light burst from Rika's D-Tector and devoured her body. She was raised off the ground as the blue light disintegrated all that she wore. Her body floated down to Renamon's and they merged into one life force. 

"Renamon Bio-merge to…" Images of Renamon's different digivolutions flashed in front of her as her form changed into a humanoid like state. Her hair became long and it tied itself back. A mask formed over her face and clothes covered her majestic body. She jumped into the air and flipped over. As she landed, she spun on the spot and swung her staff to her back.

"…Sakuyamon!" Rika sighed happily as she felt Renamon's strength flow through her. She felt free and totally content. She opened her eyes and looked over to where Ryo had Bio-merged with Cyberdramon to form Justimon. 

"You ready pumpkin?" Ryo asked teasingly. 

"When have I ever not been?" Rika grinned. "And stop calling me that!" 

"Whatever you say princess," Ryo chuckled and as Justimon, he turned to face Ghiuramon. 

"All right firebrand, I think it's time you cooled off." Justimon raised his arm and it changed into a flat palm with four widespread fingers. 

"Thunder Clap!" He shouted and he smacked his hand to the ground. A streak of lightning sped towards Ghiuramon. 

"This pigeon's sung his last tune," Sakuyamon said. She raised herself up in the air and spread her arms.

"Amethyst wind!" Hundreds of light purple petals swirled through the air in a wind that seemed oddly calm. Both attacks hit Ghiuramon full on and he stumbled backwards. 

"Filthy beasts. How dare you attack me!" He straightened himself and raised his arms again. Another meteor started forming in his hands. 

"Quick!" Ryo called. "Attack him while he's still charging up!" 

"Right!" Sakuyamon flew up higher in the air. "Amethyst Madonna!" Another wave of lilac petals whirled through the air, this time in a stronger gust f wind. Justimon twisted in the air and came down in a blaze of light.

"Justice Kick!" His outstretched foot connected sharply with the side Of Ghiuramon's eagle-like head. He roared in pain and his attack disappeared. Justimon jumped out of the way as Sakuyamon's attack exploded as it hit Ghiuramon. Justimon landed neatly beside Sakuyamon, his two red capes fluttering in the wind of Sakuyamon's attack. Ghiuramon dropped to his knees. He was breathing heavily and he was badly hurt. He looked up at Justimon and Sakuyamon hatefully. In one last burst of energy he pulled back his head and opened his mouth wide. 

"Hell Fire!" His attack exploded from his mouth in a fiery blaze. Sakuyamon and Justimon were thrown back, but Ghiuramon was so weak that his attack did very little damage. He fell back and screeched in pain. 

"You may have defeated me, but my brothers will avenge me. We shall defeat the Digimon Murderer and do our master's bidding!" As he spoke, his body started disintegrating. Sakuyamon and Justimon de-digivolved in a flash of light and watched Ghiuramon disappear. Rika walked over to Renamon and grinned.

"How did you get here?" She asked. 

"When we heard that the Sovereign were sending out another Deva to the real world, Cyberdramon and I decided to follow him," Renamon explained.

"We used the portal he created to travel back here," Cyberdramon added with a growl. 

"Good thinking buddy," Ryo laughed as he patted Cyberdramon's arm. The Digital field disappeared and Rika and Ryo looked around. The entire sports field was devoid of people, except for a small group of children who had been watching the fight. They ran over to Rika and Ryo. Rika watched as Takato and the rest of the Tamers stared at them. 

"Renamon…Cyberdramon," Takato looked between them and grinned. "Nice to see ya."

"Did any of the other Digimon come back with you?" Jeri asked. Renamon smiled at her.

"Just one," she looked back as a small white digimon with big green eyes and oversized purple-tipped ears ran over to them. It jumped into Jeri's arms and hugged her happily.

"Hi there Jeri! Did you miss me?"

"Calumon!" Jeri said happily. She hugged him back and laughed. 

"What about Giulmon and the others?" Takato asked.

"Yeah, where's MarineAngemon?" Kenta asked.

"And Guardromon too?" Kazu added. Renamon and Cyberdramon looked at each other grimly.

"I'm afraid we all got separated after we returned to the Digital world. It was merely chance that Cyberdramon and I found each other," Renamon said as she dropped her head. Cyberdramon growled at Calumon.

"I would rather we had not found this annoying pest," he said in annoyance. 

"Hey! You're a big meany-weany! I am not a pest!" Calumon said defiantly. The Tamers all laughed at this.  

"Come on guys, we should get you somewhere out of the open," Henry said to the two Digimon. 

"How about we go to my house?" Takato offered. "We can all have something to eat there." Calumon's eyes widened excitedly. 

"Ooh, can we have creampuffs?" He said eagerly. Takato chuckled at him. 

"You can have all the creampuffs you want Calumon." Calumon jumped out of Jeri's arms and hopped onto Rika's head. 

"Oh happy day for Calumon, he gets creampuffs and big buns!" He sang happily. The Tamers chuckled at him and left the field, being careful not to be seen. Even though everyone knew about Digimon, it would probably cause mass hysteria if anymore were seen.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika lay on her mattress, her arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling. 

"Renamon?" She called softly. Renamon appeared in the corner of the room, near the door that led to the back yard.

"Yes Rika?" She said quietly. Rika turned in her bed to look at her. She smiled at Renamon happily.

"I'm really glad your back," she said truthfully. Renamon smiled at Rika warmly.

"I am too Rika. I am too." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- So what did you guys think? Did you like it? I think this is my longest chapter so far! (^_^) Anywho, I hope you guys like my story so far. I've generally been getting a good response so I take you do. ; ) Thanks for all your reviews and about the last chapter…I would have emailed it to you, Kira, but like I said before, the only time I get to go onto the internet is if I do something really good, when my mother bribes me with it or when I update my stories. And that isn't very often. ^_^

Luv you guys! I'll start the next chapter soon!__


	5. To each his own

A/N- Hello ya'll!!! Ya miss me? If you guys like my story, then I would like to suggest that you read another one called 'There for you'. I can't remember what the authors name is, but its really good. It's an unfinished Ryuki with twenty chapters. I really love that story, so I just thought you might like to read it to (if you aren't already). Nothin much else to say except…HERE WE GO!!! 

PS- just in case I didn't mention it (I can't remember)…I have looked on countless websites and have found not one that says that Rika and Jeri are best friends. Even the site that the creators of the digimon show put up said that Rika is best friends with _Ryo_.

PPS- Stop picking on me about the names of things. I heard the attack 'Amethyst Madonna' on one of the episodes and if it is wrong, then you can't blame me because it was on one of the later D-Reaper eps. And the music was overpowering the vocals!!!  

Chapter 4 

To each his own

Rika walked down the road, feeling lighter than air. Sure, there were Digimon appearing again, bent on killing someone she didn't know, but right now, it didn't matter. Renamon was back and as Rika walked to another stupid meeting in the park, she chatted to her with her mind.

"So you really don't know where the others are then?" She thought.

"I'm afraid not, we were scattered all over the digital plains. But I'm sure they're all safe," Renamon replied. Rika nodded. She turned a corner and walked into the park, straight to the small building they so affectionately called "Giulmon's hideout". Rika moved into the bushes so that she was shielded from the view of passers by.

"Okay Renamon, you can come out now," she said. Renamon appeared beside her.

"Shall we?" She smiled. Rika nodded and they made their way to the meeting, careful not to be seen. 

"Finally, what took you guys so long?" Rika brushed a few leaves out of her hair and looked up at Kazu.

"We took the scenic route," she said with a shrug. Rika looked up and frowned. "Where's Ryo?" 

"Dunno, he isn't here yet," Takato said. Rika was about to say that that was obvious, when someone calling out to the Tamers cut her off. 

"Sorry I'm late guys! I had a hard time keeping Cyberdramon out of sight," Ryo grinned as he and Cyberdramon stopped beside Rika and Renamon.  

"Hi Wildcat, ya miss me?" He asked as he turned to Rika.

"How can I miss you if you never go away?" She said impishly. Ryo chuckled and turned to Takato.

"So, what's up?" He asked casually as he leant against Cyberdramon. Takato and the others looked at each other and then back at Rika and Ryo.

"We want to go back to the Digital World to find Giulmon and the others," Takato said. 

"Out of the question," Renamon said as she crossed her arms.

"Why?" Jeri asked. 

"Yeah, how come?" Kenta asked huffily. 

"It's too dangerous, the Digital world has changed. Going back would be suicide!" Renamon said as she looked up at the sky.

"What do you mean? How has it changed?" Henry inquired. The Tamers all looked at Renamon and Cyberdramon.

"The world has become cold," Cyberdramon growled from where he was leaning against a tree, arms folded and head bowed. "Everything is dark and there is a great evil that sweeps across the plains." Ryo looked up at his digimon curiously.

"A great evil?" He asked.

"Like a Digimon?" Kazu suggested. 

"No, it is far more powerful than any Digimon. Even the Sovereign cannot defeat it," Renamon said quietly. 

"This is just great," Rika sighed. "Just when we think we've gotten rid of one evil monster trying to destroy everything, another one takes its place." 

"Yeah," Takato agreed. "It seems like we're never gonna get a day off." 

"I have a question Renamon," Henry said. The Tamers all turned to him. 

"What is it Henry?" Renamon said.

"It's about this Digimon Murderer. The Devas seem determined to destroy it, have you got any idea what it is?" Henry asked.

"No one but the Sovereign and Devas know who or what it is," Renamon explained. 

"The Sovereign do not trust other Digimon with such important information," Cyberdramon growled. 

"Do you at least know whether its human or not?" Jeri asked. Renamon shook her head no. 

"Well, we're back where we started," Rika said. She looked at Ryo, who was still leaning against Cyberdramon, his eyes closed in thought.

"You're awfully quiet," she said, making him open his eyes and look up at her.

"I was just thinking…the Sovereign are so afraid of this _great evil_ roaming the Digital world and now they're sending Devas here to destroy the Digimon Murderer, maybe, the evil and the Digimon Murderer are the same thing." The Tamers stood in silence as they all thought this over. Rika looked over them all.

_Hmm, how strange. Kazu and Kenta are actually _thinking_! _She thought with a smirk.

_Well there's a first time for everything Rika,_ said Renamon's voice. Rika grinned at her and chuckled lightly under her breath.

"Well, the idea seems possible, but I don't know," Henry said at last. 

"Why not?" Takato asked. "It sounds right to me." 

"Yes, but don't you think its odd. If they are the same thing, then why would the evil be in the Digital world and the Digimon Murderer here?" Henry asked. The Tamers fell silent again.

"They are not the same thing," Cyberdramon growled. "I cannot feel the evil's presence here." 

"Can you sense anything stronger than the Devas here?" Ryo asked his Digimon. "Apart from us I mean," he added with a grin. Cyberdramon shook his head.

"No, the evil force in the Digital world has power beyond all bounds. I feel nothing like it here," he growled. 

"Well then I guess we're back to square one again," Henry said in defeat. 

"Let's meet here again tomorrow. We'll have more time to think about it since it'll be Saturday," Takato suggested. 

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Henry said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He waved at the Tamers as he walked home. 

"I've got a date with a pizza soon," Kazu chuckled as he left too.

"Wait for me!" Kenta called as he ran after Kazu.

"Bye guys!" Takato called to them.

"See ya chumley!" Kazu yelled back. Takato turned to Jeri. 

"Want me to walk you home?" He asked, his cheeks going slightly red. 

"I live to far away to walk home Takato," Jeri giggled. 

"Oh…right," Takato said, his cheeks burning a brighter red as his hand searched the back of his head.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Jeri smiled as she walked away. 

"Shall we go too, your Highness?" Ryo asked as he bowed gallantly to Rika. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. 

"You know, I have no idea why I agreed to let you stay at my place tonight, even if your dad _is_ out of town. You'll be dead by morning," she said in annoyance. 

"It must be my irresistible charm," Ryo grinned. Takato watched them walk away. He looked around him. Renamon and Cyberdramon had disappeared and he was now totally alone. 

"Okay then…bye!" He called after them and left too, feeling totally confused and dejected.  

*~*~*~*~*~*

 Rika mumbled softly and rolled over in her bed as something poked her sharply in the side.

"Wake up!" Whispered a voice. Rika frowned slightly and groaned. She opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes widened and she gasped at the sight of two enchantingly blue eyes hovering over her.

"Ryo!? Don't do that!" Rika snapped as she realized who it was. Ryo grinned at her impishly.

"Sorry Wildcat, but you look so cute when you're asleep," he chuckled. 

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Rika said as she sat up, groggily wiping her eyes. She looked out the window and to her surprise, saw that it was still pitch black outside. 

"Why'd you wake me up so early?" Rika asked, turning to Ryo to see that he was fully dressed and looked as if he'd been up for a while already. 

"It's not early Wildcat," Ryo whispered as he glanced out the window.

"What are you talking about? It's still dark outside!" Rika exclaimed. 

"I know," Ryo said patiently, "but it's already ten in the morning." Rika looked up at him curiously, wondering whether he had lost his mind or just forgotten how to tell the time. She raised her arm and looked down at her watch. Her eyes widened. He was right. 

"If it's ten-o-clock…then why's it so dark?" Rika enquired. Ryo shook his head.__

"Dunno," he said. "Renamon and Cyberdramon have gone to check it out. In the mean time, I think you should get dressed in case we have to go in a hurry." Rika looked down at herself and frowned. She was wearing a small blue shirt, held to her arms by thin purple straps. It was intentionally a slightly tight fit and showed off quite a bit, hence the reason she only wore it to sleep in. She also wore a pair a dark blue sweatpants and on her feet, white socks. 

_Curse my choice of nightwear_, she thought bitterly. Ryo got up and left the room so that she could get dressed. Rika immediately hopped out of bed and hurried into her wardrobe. She dressed in her usual jeans and shirt and hurriedly combed her hair and pulled it back into a spiky ponytail. 

She left the room, almost tripping on the sleeping white mass of fur that was Blizzard and moved into the guest room that Ryo had been using. He was sitting on the bed, slipping his Digimon cards into a cardholder almost identical to Rika's. He looked up as she approached him.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Was there any doubt?" She asked, patting her own cards that hung in a small pouch, clipped to her belt. Ryo grinned and stood up. Suddenly, a yellow figure materialized beside Rika. 

"Did you find out what's going on Renamon?" Ryo asked. Renamon nodded.

"Yes, it's a Deva," she said shortly. Rika and Ryo looked at each other curiously.

"It must be really big if it's blocking out the sun," Rika said. 

"It isn't blocking it out, Rika. It's spreading darkness around the city. It is eating the sunlight to strengthen itself," Renamon explained. Ryo looked out the window into the darkness. 

"Well then we'd better get going. If we don't stop it soon, then it'll get to strong for us to even stand a chance against it." Rika nodded at him and they ran out of the house. 

"Lead the way Renamon!" Rika called. Renamon nodded and took off, Rika and Ryo close behind her. 

"We're not fast enough," Rika said as she watched Renamon disappear behind a building. "We'll never keep up with her." 

"Need a lift?" Ryo asked. Rika looked up and to her surprise, saw Ryo sitting on Cyberdramon's back. He reached down and pulled Rika up behind him.

"Hold on tight!" He called, just before Cyberdramon jumped through the air at top speed. Rika grabbed Ryo around the waist to stop herself from falling. Within seconds, Rika could see the giant from of the Digimon they were going to fight. She took a deep breath to ready herself; somehow, she just knew this would be a tough one.

"Get ready!" Cyberdramon called to them.

"Are the others coming?" Rika asked. 

"Yes, I told them to come. We may need their help," Cyberdramon answered. Rika nodded and slipped one arm away from Ryo so that she could get her D-Power from her belt. As they came nearer to the giant Digimon, Rika held up her D-Power and the display screen appeared. In the center, was a picture of a dark grayish-green, worm-like dragon. Its body was long and thin and the legs and arms were both tipped with razor sharp talons. From it's head sprouted many white horns, all pointed slightly forward. Its eyes were an evil yellow and its square snout was lined with hundreds of long fangs, dripping with sickening saliva. A long mane of pale yellow hair draped from behind its horns and flared out at the tip of its tail. 

"Evareámon," Rika read. "A Virus Dragon type. Oh great, it's another Mega." Ryo looked back at her. 

"What attacks does it have?" He asked. 

"Uh…Photon Spray, Stone Gaze and Poison Breath," she answered. Ryo looked back at Evareámon. He was standing in the ruins of what had once been a construction sight. When he had Bio-emerged, his size had undoubtedly destroyed the area. He had his head up and his mouth was open wide. Tiny golden particles were swirling into his mouth and as they did, so the city became darker. 

"We have to stop him from absorbing anymore sunlight!" Rika called to Ryo.

"Right! Cyberdramon, hit him in the mouth with everything you've got!" Ryo said. Cyberdramon landed and waited until Rika and Ryo were well out of the way until he swiped his hands through the air. They glowed bright green and as he drew them together, they left shining claw marks in the air. 

"Desolation Claw!" He shouted and from his hands, burst millions of energy blasts. Every one of them hit Evareámon full force in the snout. He roared and shut his mouth. Two blazing yellow eyes turned to them.

"So," said Evareámon, in a deep rumbling voice. "You are the humans who oppose us?"

"Yeah, that's right. Now I'm gonna give you three seconds to tell us who you're looking for before my friends and I beat the crap out of you," Rika snapped. Evareámon chuckled at her.

"Such a strong sentence from such a pathetically weak little human," he laughed. Rika growled angrily. 

"You know whom it is I seek and you know why I am here. To destroy," Evareámon continued. 

"Then you leave us no choice," Ryo said. He turned to Cyberdramon. "Are you ready boy?" Cyberdramon growled his approval. 

"Renamon…" Rika said calmly. Renamon appeared beside her. To D-Powers were raised into the air.   

"Bio-merge activate!" Rika and Ryo were both engulfed in bright blue domes of light. 

"Renamon…"

"Cyberdramon…"

"Bio-merge to…" Two majestic forms landed in front of Evareámon.

"…Sakuyamon!" 

"…Justimon!" Evareámon looked down at them. 

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" He asked. He backed away slightly and spread his wings wide as if to brace him self. The many horns on his head started glowing at the tips.  

"Photon Spray!" He shouted. Hundreds of balls of light shot from the glowing tips of his horns. Sakuyamon and Justimon were both thrown back as they were hit by Evareámon's attacks. Sakuyamon staggered to her feet. 

"He's so strong," she gasped as she clutched her side. 

"We have to find a way to beat him quickly," Justimon said. He looked around, but found nothing that could help them. 

"Rika! Ryo!" Justimon and Sakuyamon looked back to see Takato and the other Tamers running towards them.

"Takato! Stay back! It's too dangerous!" Rika shouted. Evareámon looked towards the Tamers and laughed.  

"Is this your pitiful excuse for a group of warriors?" He asked. "A bunch of weak little children?" His horns started glowing brightly again. 

"I will dispose of all of you at once!" Takato and the Tamers all stared in horror as Evareámon's Photon Spray flew at them. Takato shut his eyes in fear.

"Giulmon!!!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Giulmon's head shot up and he looked to the pink sphere high above him that was the real world.

"What's the matter Giulmon?" Terriermon asked. Giulmon sniffed the air. 

"Mmm…I think I can hear Takato calling me," Giulmon said in his usual oddball voice. Terriermon lifted his huge, green tipped ears curiously. 

"Are sure you haven't gone nuts?  Cause I don't hear anything," he said. 

_Giulmon!!_Giulmon jumped and his pupils retracted, giving him a maniacal look as he pulled his lips into a dangerous snarl. 

"Whoa," Terriermon said as he looked up at Giulmon. 

"I heard him again…Takato needs me!" Terriermon hopped onto his back.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" He asked.

"Right!" Giulmon took of at a fast run. Before he had taken so much as three steps, his body suddenly became different. His entire form grew larger and metallic red armor formed on his body. A long tentacle grew from the back of his head and huge blades erupted from the covers on his arms. 

"Wow, couldn't you have done this sooner?" Terriermon asked as Wargrowlmon jumped into the air. Flames erupted from the jets on his back, propelling him higher into the air. His eyes blazed as he stared up at the real world. 

"Don't worry Takato, I'm coming." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Giulmon!!" Takato shouted in fear and desperation. He could feel the force of Evareámon's attack drawing nearer to him. But as he waited for his doom, he suddenly realized that nothing had happened. He opened his eyes and gasped. A huge red form was standing in front of him, blocking the attack. 

"Wargrowlmon?" He stammered. 

"I'm here Takato," Wargrowlmon growled as he tried desperately to hold off the powerful attack. 

"What's this!?" Evareámon shouted. "What are you doing here!?" Wargrowlmon burst through the attack and faced Evareámon. 

"I'm here to protect my Tamer!" He growled. Sakuyamon and Justimon stood at Wargrowlmon's side.

"I think the tables have turned on you," Justimon said. 

"And they're about to turn even more!" Said a small voice. "Henry!" 

"Right Terriermon!" Henry held out of D-Power. He drew a card from his deck and as he did, it became dark blue. He swiped his arms in the air and then dragged the card through his D-power. 

"Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" He shouted. 

"All right, time for me to join the party! Terriermon Matrix Digivolve to…" Terriermon changed into Gargomon for a second before he became larger and thinner. His ears became metallic and he too gained armor all over his body. His hands warped into missile launchers and a black barrage gun formed on his back. 

"…Rapidmon!" Rapidmon landed on Wargrowlmon's other side. 

"Okay you over sized worm, it's time for us to go fishing!" Rapidmon laughed. 

"You think you have increased your odds?" Evareámon asked. "Well think again! Poison Breath!" Evareámon threw his head back and inhaled as much air as his lungs would allow. The air swirled around his mouth as he drew in more and more. The air became tiny blue-green particles and formed a ball of energy in his wide-open mouth. His eyes glinted brightly and he suddenly threw his head forward. A huge jet of green plasmatic light flew at Wargrowlmon. 

"Look out!" Rika shouted and as Sakuyamon she threw herself in front of the attack. 

"Rika no!!" Ryo watched in shocked horror as Sakuyamon was thrown against the bridge that was overhanging the area they were in. She started glowing brightly and when the glow disappeared Rika and Renamon fell to the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust as they hit it. Evareámon laughed evilly and his eyes glowed bright yellow.

"Finally, you are mine!" He swung his head around and spun in the air.

"Stone Gaze!!" He flung his head back at Rika and as he did, a beam of dark grey light burst from his eyes. The beam trailed across the floor and ran over Rika's unconscious form. The Tamers stared in horror as the beam disappeared. 

"Now for the final blow! The Digimon Murderer shall soon be mine!!" Evareámon's horns started glowing brightly. 

"No!" Justimon shouted and he threw himself over Rika, shielding her from harm as Evareámon's Photon Spray hit him in the back. The dust around Justimon cleared and he looked down at Rika. His eyes widened. Her entire body was completely made of stone. 

Anger flared inside of him, boiling to the surface in a fiery peak of pure rage. He stood up and faced Evareámon.

"You will pay for your interference!" Evareámon roared angrily. Justimon faced him a deadly calm aura surrounding him. He flicked his arm to the side and his hand became flat and four fingered. 

"Poison Breath!" Evareámon hurled his head forward and another ray of green light issued form his mouth. 

"Thunder clap!" Justimon pulled his arm back and just as the ray of green light was about to hit him, he slapped his hand against it, knocking it back to Evareámon. The jet of light, which was now twice as strong and pulsing with electricity, hit Evareámon full on in the chest. He was thrown back and he hit a wall, which crumbled from the force. 

"I think it's time we joined in the fun," Rapidmon said. He shook slightly and then straightened himself out, his legs together and his arms wide apart. 

"Tri-beam!" He yelled. Green globes formed at both his hands and at his feet. Thin lines connected the three circles and a bright green ray burst from the triangle and flew at Evareámon. 

"You will never hurt anyone ever again!" Wargrowlmon roared. Tiny fragments of blue light gathered at the two guns on his chest, forming giant red beams. 

"Atomic Blaster!" The beams exploded from his chest and merged with Rapidmon's Tri-beam attack. The red and green swirled together and doubled in power. Evareámon's eyes widened for a second and then he was engulfed in both attacks. A huge explosion ripped across the area, swallowing everything in a bright white light. 

The light cleared slowly and the Tamers looked over at Evareámon, who was lying limp on the floor. He shifted slightly and opened his eyes. 

Ryo, who was covering Rika, looked down at her. The stone had disappeared and she was once again, flesh and blood. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open. 

"You okay Wildcat?" Ryo asked. Rika looked up at Justimon and nodded slowly. He helped her sit and they both looked over at Evareámon. 

"You may think that you have won, but you have a long way to go. You have only tasted the true might of the Fifteen Devas," he croaked. 

"Fifteen?" Takato said in surprise. 

"Yes, we will do as we were commanded. My brother will destroy the Digimon Murderer and fulfill our master's wishes." 

"Wh-who is this D- Digimon Murderer?" Rika stammered. Her voice was barely more than a strained whisper and Justimon was helping her sit. Evareámon chuckled as his data started separating. 

"Surely you should have figured it out by now," he grumbled. The Tamers all looked at him expectantly. 

"The Digimon murderer," he flicked his dulling eyes to Rika. "Is you." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- AAAAHHHHH!!! A cliffhanger! If you review I'll write faster!!! ^_^

P.S- Sorry it took so long…


	6. Dealing with the facts

Hiya folks…I know this took really long to come up, but a horrible tragedy struck me down in my moment of ultimate glory! I was practically finished with the chapter when something worse than even writers block happened to me! For those of you with weak hearts, skip the following sentence… My _entire _collection of stories…everything (including the stories I'm reading and all those that I wrote) was deleted from my computer! And I mean totally deleted! From the Recycle bin too so there's no way I can get them back!!! So please don't blame me for taking long, cause I had to re-write everything.

Anyway…I would like to tell 'Wings of Jade' that my story is not as imperfect as you say it is! First of all, when Evareámon said his brother would avenge him…I meant to say 'brothers', which implies that the rest of the Devas would get revenge. So my count of Fifteen Devas is quite correct. Secondly, Rika and Ryo don't tease each other that much and besides…if you want me to turn Rika into a 'blonde-haired-blue-eyed-wuss' then just say so, cause I just thought that just because she and Ryo are friends, doesn't mean Rika has to change the way she acts completely. I always thought her comments rather playful. I hope that answered everything and I hope you know that I don't intend on changing anything. 

Right, now that that's over with…down to the next chapter…again. (sorry A/N was so long) PS to Amethyst Blizzard: You are right on the money and as of yet, the only person to have figured that out. Thanks for reading my ficJ.

Chapter Dealing with the facts 

Rika sat back against a fallen log in the park, staring out at the lake that was shimmering peacefully in the morning sun. Her eyes drifted shut as she listened to the peaceful sounds of the park. Birds where singing softly in their nest and an occasional squirrel would scurry past her as it rummaged around for food. A sudden crunching on gravel made her eyes snap open again. She tilted her head back and sighed as one of her best friends made his way over to her. 

"Hey Wildcat," he said in his usual caring tones. "Feeling any better?" He sat down beside her and a small smile dawned on her lips.

"Yeah, it's amazing how quick a healer I am," she chuckled lightly. Ryo smiled and nodded. 

"Yeah, but that's not what I meant," he said gently. Rika tuned her head slightly and looked at him curiously. Then a realization dawned upon her.

"Oh," she said softly. "I…I guess I'm okay. I just want to know why _I'm_ the Digimon Murderer." Ryo nodded his understanding. Rika sighed again and stared out over the lake. She had a hunch about why it was her and her hunches where usually right.

_But that was so long ago_, she thought sadly. Ryo watched her as she sat, thinking to herself. He reached over and touched her shoulder. Jumping slightly, Rika turned to him and smiled sheepishly. 

"Sorry, lost in my own thoughts," she said. 

"Care to share them?" Ryo asked cautiously. Rika wasn't the type to tell people what was on her mind. Even Ryo, who had become closer to her than any of the Tamers, hardly ever managed to get her to open up. She glanced at him and sighed softly. 

"Well, when Renamon first became my partner…I thought of Digimon as nothing more than data that was only good for battles. I searched the entire city and I killed every Digimon I could find." She paused and took a deep breath. Ryo looked at her intently; this was the first time she had ever told him about her life before she became friends with the Tamers. Sure, Takato and the others had mentioned her cold loner personality a few times before, but hearing it from Rika her self made it so much easier to believe. 

"I had to be the best…the strongest. All I ever wanted was to be strong enough to beat you after I came in second to you at the Digimon Tournament. So I made Renamon fight every Digimon that Bio-emerged so that she could load their data and get stronger. When IceDevimon kidnapped me and tried to force me to be his Tamer, Goggle-head and Henry came to help me out. Renamon fought too…but just like before, I wasn't strong enough and Guilmon had to destroy him. After that I didn't want to have anything more to do with Digimon so I threw my D-power away. I suppose the Sovereign are after me because of all those Digimon that I killed." She took another deep breath and looked over the lake again. Ryo watched her carefully. He wanted to voice what he was thinking, but he couldn't find the right way to say it. He knew it wasn't her fault and he wanted to tell her that, but before he could, she spoke again.

"I had hoped that the Digital World would forgive me for my stupid mistake. I was so young and naïve back then. But I suppose what I did was unforgivable," she glanced up at Ryo and then looked back at the lake. The warm sunlight was playing across it, capturing every ripple in a soft twinkling light…so peaceful.

"None of this is your fault you know," Ryo finally managed to say. Rika looked up at him and for the first time that day, she held his gaze. 

"I know that Zhuqiaomon doesn't exactly think to highly of us humans, but Azulongmon seemed to like us and so did the other Sovereign. There has to be more to this than there seems and we're gonna find out what it is…okay?" Ryo gave Rika a reassuring smile and she returned it. 

"Thanks, Ryo. I suppose you're right." Ryo grinned at her cheekily.

"Of course I am. Aren't I always?" He chuckled. Rika rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, kiss me before I kiss myself," she said sarcastically. Ryo grinned at her and they both laughed. Rika leant back into the log again, feeling like herself again. 

"Hey you two!" Both Rika and Ryo turned to see Takato, Henry and Jeri walking up the hill towards them. 

"Nice day huh?" Jeri smiled. She glanced at Rika and quickly averted her gaze. Rika shook her head and looked at the lake again. 

"So, ready for another meeting?" Takato asked. 

"Sure," Ryo said as he leant back as well. "But where are Kazu and Kenta?" 

"I think they're probably still asleep," Henry said, checking his watch. Rika looked around for Renamon. She had been there a while before, but had mysteriously disappeared when Ryo had arrived. 

"Renamon?" She called. Renamon materialized beside her. 

"I'm right here, Rika." She said. Rika nodded and looked over at Takato and Henry. 

"Where's Terriermon and Guilmon?" She asked. 

"Back there," Henry said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the path. Rika listened carefully and her ears picked up the sound of Guilmon's voice. 

"D'you think Takatomon brought me some peanut-butter?" He asked. 

"Is that all you ever think about?" Said Terriermon's voice.

"Well, no. I think about bread a lot."

"Gee, like that's any different," Terriermon replied. They came over the hill and Guilmon ran over to Takato. Calumon, who had been riding on Guilmon's head, jumped up and glided over to Rika. He landed gently in her lap and smiled at her.

"Hello Rika, Rika," he said sweetly. Rika smiled at him and shook her head. Guilmon sniffed at Takato and smiled, a delighted growl escaping his snout. 

"That nose of yours doesn't miss a thing does it, Guilmon," Takato chuckled. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a big bag of creampuffs and buns. Guilmon dug inside it and pulled out a bun. He bit into it and happily sat on the grass as he chewed at it. Calumon hopped off Rika's lap and ran to the bag. He pulled out a creampuff and ate it happily. Rika chuckled under her breath. 

_Nothing's changed_, she smiled. _Well…almost nothing_. She turned to Ryo and cleared her throat. Looking away from where Terriermon and Guilmon were arguing over the last creampuff, Ryo faced Rika to see what she wanted. 

"Where's Cyberdramon?" She asked. She had been wondering where he had gone to ever since the rest of the Tamers had arrived. Ryo smiled and looked up at the soft, pale blue sky. 

"He's out on patrol," Ryo explained. "I'm going to fill him in on the meeting later." 

"Which reminds me," Takato said as he turned to the group. "We really should discuss what we're going to do from here." The Tamers all fell silent, each at a loss for ideas. What could they really do? Other than wait that is. They couldn't go back to the Digital world and there was no way of knowing when the next Deva would Bio-emerge. To top things off, it seemed like each Deva was stronger than the last, which meant that they were going to have a hared time beating them all. 

Getting thoroughly annoyed with the long silence, Rika let out a frustrated breath. The Tamers all turned to her. 

"Look," she said seriously. "Now that we know that I'm the Digimon Murderer, there has to be something that we can do. After all, we were all fired up with ideas when we had no idea who we were fighting!" She turned to Henry.

"Come on Mister I'm-the-bearer-of-all-knowledge! You're the one with all the plans!" Henry stared at Rika in irritated amazement. 

"Well what do you want me to say?" He asked impatiently. "Do you want me to tell everyone to fight _you_? I'm not always full of ideas Rika, I work with what I have and at the moment, we have nothing." Rika seemed slightly offended and for a moment, she fell silent and dropped her gaze. There was another short silence. 

"You know, Henry," Ryo said slowly. "That isn't entirely true." The Tamers all looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Takato asked.

"Well," Ryo started. "Before, we didn't know who the Digimon Murderer was. Now we know its Rika. And at least now, we have most of our partners back." He looked over them all and then carried on. 

"I don't know why it's Rika they're after and frankly, I don't care. The Sovereign didn't seem to hate us at all, even though some of them weren't exactly very fond of us. Something must have happened to them or to the Digital World that made them angry or scared. There has to be a reason why they suddenly want Rika destroyed. Maybe that's what we should be concentrating on. Not to mention the fact that we should be protecting Rika at all costs." Rika looked up at this.

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you very much," she said stiffly. Ryo turned to look at her.

"I'm quite sure you can Wildcat, but not against the Sovereign or these new Devas. At least not on your own." Rika couldn't seem to find an answer back to this. The truth was…Ryo was right. There was no way she could ever beat them all on her own. Just like before…she just wasn't strong enough. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Kazu."

"Yeah Kenta." 

"Do you remember the weatherman saying anything about any sudden storms today?"

"No. Besides, I don't need the weatherman to tell _me_ what the weather's gonna be like."

"Well then…could you tell me why this rain-cloud is so low?"

"Uh…I don't think this is a rain-cloud Kenta…" 

A deep evil laugh boomed across the park drowning out the high-pitched screams of two terrified boys.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The Tamers all froze as the high shrieking laughter echoed across the empty park. They all looked at each other in terror. Cyberdramon suddenly landed beside Ryo. 

"Ryo…" he growled. Ryo turned to Rika who nodded. Glancing at the other Tamers she sighed and shook her head.

"We may not have a plan…but these things are coming here for me and I _will_ stop them." She paused for a second, looking at them all determinately. "With or without your help." 

And with that, she and Renamon ran in the direction of the laughter with Ryo and Cyberdramon close behind. 

"Takato?" Guilmon said. Takato looked at his friend. They seemed to come to an unspoken agreement and without another word, they hurried after Rika and Ryo. Henry sighed in frustration. 

"Come on Terriermon. We better go help them before they get themselves killed." Terriermon grinned and hopped onto Henry's shoulder.

"All right, now we're cooking! Let's go!" 

"Hey! Wait for me!" Jeri ran after them towards the growing digital field. 

Whipping out her sunglasses, Rika slipped them on and ran straight into the digital field. Ryo appeared beside her wearing his own black shades. 

"See anything?" He asked. 

"Yeah…something's coming from over there," she said, pointing out in front of her. Sure enough, two figures were running towards them.

"They look to small to be Digimon…" Ryo cocked an eyebrow at them and frowned in thought.

"They aren't Digimon…they're human!" Rika gasped. They watched as Kazu and Kenta ran as fast as they could, not even pausing when they reached Rika and Ryo. They ran right past them and out of the digital field. 

"Pathetic," Rika mumbled. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she doubled over grabbing her head as if she were in pain. She fell to her knees, her face contorted with pure agony. 

"Rika!" Ryo dropped down beside her and grabbed her shoulders, turning her towards him. 

"Rika, what' wrong?" He asked anxiously. Rika seemed unable to hear him. Her entire body was shaking and she was breathing heavily…almost gasping for air. A bright red light enveloped her and she shivered more intensely. 

"No…" she muttered. 

"What?" Ryo shook her shoulders lightly. "Rika, please tell me what's happening to you!" 

"No!" She shouted. "Stop it!" Before Ryo could reply, another voice echoed around them.

"Not until you see the pain you caused…not until you feel the sorrow you brought to our world. Not until…you are destroyed!" Ryo looked around, his fear and anxiety rising with every second. And then it started. It was soft at first, almost inaudible, but the screams grew louder and louder until it seemed like the very air around them was screeching in the purest form of torture. 

"Listen," said the voice. "Listen to the lives you destroyed. The final cries of every Digimon you deleted. You…a mere _filthy_ human! You had no right to destroy them. You had no right to betray your masters! We are superior to you pathetic wretches! And now, because of your insolence, you must suffer!" Rika's cries seemed to be drowned within the screams of the Digimon.

"No! Get out of my head! Please…I." She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. Not knowing what else to do, Ryo pulled her into a tight embrace and held her to his chest. 

"Don't listen to it, Rika. It's not true! Don't listen!" He held her as tight as he could, wondering how it was possible for anyone _not_ to listen to this earsplitting noise. Still desperately trying to cover her ears, Rika shook her head again, burying her face into his chest to try and muffle the noise even further. The voice laughed evilly.

"Yes…taste the power of the fear you created in the lives of these Digimon. Taste their pain…their death!" The rest of the Tamers stared in horror as Rika cowered against Ryo, quivering with fear and pain. With a shaking hand, Takato held out his red and gold D-Ark. The round display appeared and a pictured formed on it. 

"Varunamon," he read. "Mega-level. He's an ancient virus-beast type Digimon. His special attacks are Dark Delusion and Emblem of Fate." As he read, the massive form of Varunamon emerged from the shadows of the Digital field. His skin seemed to be made of black armor; it shimmered eerily in the darkness that had spread around the area. He had long white hair, falling down to his spike-armored shoulders, in thick dread-locks. His eyes were shielded from view by a helmet that covered his entire face. It was silver-black with crimson markings snaking their way across it. His long, clawed hands were dark grey and his talons were an evil black. On his feet were deep brown boots that seemed to melt into his ripped and torn black-grey pants. His long-sleeved black jacket had a sort of fur lining around the collar and it completely covered his neck. On his right sleeve was the picture of a white skull and on the left was a strange symbol in deep red. He had four belt-like straps around each leg and two around each arm. In his one hand he held a long black staff that was topped with a grim-reaper's blade. A long dark-grey tail swished back and forth behind him and two demonic wings were folded on his back. His entire being seemed to be wrapped in an eternal blanket of evil, black darkness. Ryo stared up at him, wide eyed. Varunamon laughed again. He raised his arm and waved it through the air. Blue-white flames materialized around Rika and Ryo and danced around them mockingly. 

"Murderer…murderer," they whispered menacingly. The screaming seemed to have died down a little. 

"Murderer…murderer." The chanting went on.

"No…I…I'm not a murderer," Rika whimpered. 

"Murderer…murderer!" The chanting became louder and louder with each word. Rika shook her head. 

"No..." 

"Murderer…murderer!" The flames multiplied and the song went on even louder than before. 

"No…stop it!" 

"Murderer…murderer!!" Renamon swiped furiously at the flames, but her paw went right through them. 

"Murderer…MURDERER!" Rika was on her feet, shaking with rage and sorrow. 

"I am NOT a murderer!" She shouted. The flames danced around her. Growing bigger with every note of defiance in her voice. Her D-Power started glowing brightly. Renamon was at her side now. The glow spread to Rika's hands and up her arms. Ryo was on his feet and standing with Cyberdramon. The glow was spreading across Rika's chest and up her neck, overlapping the red light that had been covering her. Takato and Henry were there now. As the glow finally covered Rika completely, she held out her D-Power. 

"Now we'll see who has the last laugh. Bio-merge activate!" She yelled. A bright blue light burst from her D-Power and swallowed her. Ryo, Takato and Henry echoed her words as they Bio-merged as well. Varunamon watched in a sort of lazy stupor as Sakuyamon, Justimon, Gallantmon and Megagargomon landed in front of him. He sighed and stood at the ready. 

"If you would challenge me, then you only prove to me of your ignorance. I was going to make this quick…but now I am going to destroy you one by one! And _you_…" he pointed at Sakuyamon. "You will watch your friends suffer!" 

"The only one that's going to suffer here is you!" Raising her staff, Sakuyamon raced forward. With a simple flick of his arm, Varunamon sent Sakuyamon flying back into Justimon. He caught her and helped her onto her feet. 

"You okay?" He asked worriedly. Shaking him off, Sakuyamon stood up and growled angrily. 

"Come on," Justimon said. "Let's take him out…together!" 

"Right!" Gallantmon raised his hand and it morphed into a huge lance. 

"Lightning Joust!" A huge ball of blue electricity formed at the tip. Stepping back slightly, Gallantmon threw his arm forward and the attack hurtled towards Varunamon.

"Mega Barrage!" Guns opened all over Megagargomon's body and hundreds of missiles erupted from them. 

"Thunder Clap!" Justimon slapped his hand to the ground and a stream of electricity shot towards Varunamon's feet. 

"Amethyst Wind!" A vicious wind swirled from Sakuyamon's body; in it were thousands of sharp, light purple petals. The four attacks all hit Varunamon dead on and they exploded in a stream of white light. The Tamers all cried out in victory.

"Alright! That was easier than I thought it'd be!" Gallantmon said happily. 

"Yeah!" Megagargomon agreed.

"Don't celebrate quite yet," said a deep voice. They all turned and gasped. Varunamon stood in the midst of all the smoke from the explosion…with not a scratch on him. 

"What! This isn't possible! We…we all hit him straight on!" Sakuyamon said in shock. Varunamon laughed. 

"You didn't think that those puny attacks would hurt me, did you?" He chuckled. "You really are pathetic fools." He raised his staff and drew a huge pentagram in the air. At each point of the star, a symbol identical to the one on his left shoulder, materialized in inky crimson lines. In the center, a larger symbol formed and it started glowing brightly. 

"Emblem of Fate!" He called. The symbols on the star points were drawn into the center one and it glowed more fiercely. From the middle of the symbol, a tiny dot of white appeared and it grew larger and larger until it filled the entire pentagram. The light exploded out of the symbol and flew at the Tamers. As it hit them, it caused another explosion, this one more powerful than the one before. The light faded and the dust cleared…to reveal all of the Tamers lying on the ground. They struggled slowly to their feet and looked up at Varunamon in horror. He was much stronger than any of the Devas they had fought yet. Shaking with the effort of staying on her feet, Sakuyamon raised her staff again. 

"Rika stop!" Ryo cried from within Justimon. "He's too strong!" 

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Henry called. Ignoring their protests, Sakuyamon face Varunamon. 

"Y…you will not harm my friends w…while I still draw breath!" She glowed brightly and her wounds seemed to heal themselves. The light around her spread and covered the entire area. It showered over the Tamers, healing their wounds and restoring their strength. Varunamon tried desperately to shield himself from it. 

"What's this?!" He shouted. Sakuyamon swiped her staff through the air. 

"You will feel the pain of the twin blades! Of beauty…" a long curving stream of gold formed in the air. "…And truth!" Another stream of golden light formed in the air. They formed a double lined circle around Sakuyamon. It grew and passed though Varunamon. He yelled in pain as the light passed through him.

"Now!" Sakuyamon called. 

"Right! Everyone! Attack him together!" Gallantmon shouted. He moved his shield in front of his body. The triangles started lighting up one by one. 

"Shield of the Just!" A massive, red beam burst from his shield and tore up the ground as it soared across the battlefield. 

"Gargo-Missiles!" The two huge missiles on Megagargomon's shoulders shot out and flew at him. The solemn looking rabbit-like faces smiled as they flew at Varunamon. 

"Thunder Blade!" A blade sprang from Justimon's arm and he whipped it through the air. A massive volt of electricity lashed through the air and joined Gallantmon's attack. Just as the combination of Gallantmon and Justimon's attacks hit Varunamon, Megagargomon's missiles exploded directly in his face. He yelled in pain again and fell to one knee. He was covered in injuries and his jacket was in rags. His helmet had chunks missing from it and one of his eyes was exposed. The iris was completely white.

"He…he's blind!" Sakuyamon said in shock. Varunamon stood up and dusted himself off. He chuckled lightly as he did. 

"Very observant of you. However that will not save you. I may be blind but I will always know where you are. I hear your every move. It is impossible to defeat me!" He lifted his arms to the skies and his staff hovered above him. 

"Dark Delusion!" His staff spun in the air, faster and faster until it was nothing but a blur. There was a flash and then a dark, midnight blue veil started spreading from it. 

"Don't let it touch you!" Gallantmon called to the others. Sakuyamon swiped her staff through the air again, forming the double lined circle again. It revolved around the Tamers and tore through the inky veil as it approached them. 

"Everyone, make as much noise as you can! Confuse him!" Megagargomon shouted. Amidst all the screams of the Digimon Rika had killed before, Gallantmon ran circles around Varunamon, dragging his lance across the tar and creating a high pitched screeching noise. Almost like nails being dragged across a chalkboard. Megagargomon shot missile after missile at Varunamon, some colliding and others missing. Each one made a shrill whistling sound as they flew. 

"You…you think I won't be able to hear you through this?" Varunamon shouted. He spun around just in time to raise his staff and lock weapons with Justimon. Sparks flew around them, their faces mere inches apart. The power between them was flowing, becoming intensely hot. Thrusting his arm forward, Varunamon pushed Justimon away and sent him skidding across the gravel. Justimon dug his feet into the ground and he slowed to an almost immediate stop. Thinking he had relieved himself of the threat, Varunamon turned away to listen for the other Tamers. The noise they were making was becoming hard to ignore. He suddenly felt to sharp blows to his back and neck. 

Sakuyamon and Justimon had attacked him in his disorientated sate and he cried in pain, falling to his knees. 

"Ok, attack him now!" Henry shouted. 

"Shield of the Just!"

"Thunder Clap!" 

"Amethyst Wind!" 

"Gargo-Missiles!" Varunamon swiped his clawed hands through Sakuyamon's attacks, but wasn't fast enough to stop the others. The three attacks combined into one unstoppable force and as they hit Varunamon, they burst into a fiery dome around him.

"By destroying me…you have only proven my master right. You truly are…a murderer!" The light cleared and they saw the last of Varunamon's data disappear. The four Tamers returned to their separate forms and stood by their Digimon. Rika however stood alone in the center of the battlefield. The once beautiful park was now torn apart. Trees had been uprooted, small stands and benches torched. 

Her shaking knees gave way beneath her and Rika slipped to the ground. Her arms hung limply at her sides as she stared straight ahead. Shoulders heaving faintly, she fell forward, holding herself up with just her hands and knees. Her fingers, spread flat on the ground, drew in and her hands balled into fists. She was shivering slightly as she breathed in the dusty air. Ryo took a step towards her and knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She jerked it form his grasp and turned her face away from him. 

"He was right…" she whispered. "I…I killed him after all." Not waiting to let Ryo or anyone else say anything, Rika stood up and, holding her arms in a defensive self-hug, she walked silently out of the park, her D-Power lying on the hard, cold tar. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- Hello. Me again! So, did you like my chapter? I got kinda creeped out when I was writing the description of Varunamon. I sorta pictured him like a black biker thing, only different…you know what I'm saying? Anywho, I hope you like it…oh yeah! I just remembered. To all of you who are reading (and enjoying) my story…thank you SO much. Your reviews make it so much more fun to write this!! And I'm sure most of you are gonna hate me in the next chapter…but to bad! I won't say why though…you'll have to review and then wait and see! Ha ha ha!! 

Cheers!! 


	7. Birthday Dilemma

A/N Hiya everyone! Time for me to start rambling again! Wow…this must be the first time I actually started a chapter right after I posted the last one. I hope you guys don't hate me totally because of what's gonna be in this chappie J. 

Say Lavos…I was wondering…who exactly is Mille? Is it Millenniumon or what not from the game? If it is an evil Digimon, then please send me a good, detailed description of him/her. I am gonna run out of ideas for Devas soon and I might decide to use it.

Anyway…I'll answer reviews at the end so…lets get cookin! (Dammit I'm hungry! It's 2:23 and I haven't eaten anything yet!)

Chapter 7 

Birthday Dilemma

The sun shone merrily through the windows of the Nonaka residence. It was a warm summers day and everything was very peaceful. It had been three days since Varunamon had appeared and attacked the Tamers and none of them had seen or spoken to Rika since. Even Rumiko and Seiko hadn't seen much of her. Everyday, she would get up earlier than they would and leave for the day, coming back late after dinner when they were already sleeping. Today was no different. It was four days till the weekend and Ryo was on his way to Rika's home. He knew she wouldn't be there. He had called ahead and Rumiko had said she didn't know where Rika was. She was starting to get worried about her strange behavior. 

It didn't matter that Rika wasn't there though. In fact it was actually better. Ryo needed to speak to Rumiko and Seiko…not Rika. He steeped into the yard and walked along the short path to the front door. A cool breeze blew across the lush, green grass. Ryo sighed, reached up and knocked on the door. There was a moment's silence before the door slid open. Rumiko smiled at Ryo as she motioned for him to come in. He was taller than she was, as was Rika. They had grown so much… Still smiling lightly at the thought of how much her little baby had grown up, Rumiko sat down opposite Ryo in the living room. 

"My mother's just making tea, would you like some?" She asked. Ryo smiled and shook his head.

"No thanks," he said politely. Rumiko liked this little trait Ryo had. Always polite, always respectful and she could tell that Rika meant a lot to him. It was obvious how much he cared about her. 

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Rumiko asked as Seiko sat down beside her, handing Rumiko a cup of tea as she did. Ryo took a breath and looked Rumiko dead in the eye.

"I wanted to ask…" he started. "Why Rika seems to hate her birthday so much." Rumiko and Seiko glanced at each other and then looked at Ryo. 

"Why do you say that?" Rumiko asked. 

"Well, when Jeri asked her about it a couple of days ago, she got really angry and said that she didn't have a birthday. She also forbid us to ask you when it is," Ryo explained. Rumiko sighed and put her teacup down on the table. 

"It's…complicated," she said heavily. 

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked. How complicated could birthdays possibly be? They only came once a year.  

"You see," Seiko said. "Nothing good has ever happened to Rika on her birthday. Every year, she has some sort of…bad experience and now she dreads it. She doesn't even let us buy her anything. Although we do every year, we just don't give it to her directly. Most of the time we hide her gifts in her room and she finds them when she cleans up."

"Bad experience?" Ignoring the dull 'adult urges' of making conversation that seemed to have taken their hold on both Seiko and Rumiko, Ryo pressed on to the point of his visit. 

"Yes," Rumiko nodded. "It started when she turned six. My ex and I were still married then."

"What happened?" Ryo asked cautiously.  Rumiko sighed again and wrung her hands.

"Well, I had a big fight with my husband on the day of her sixth birthday. It was really bad. In fact…I think he might have hit me, but I can't really remember to well. Anyway, Rika was in the room when it happened and my husband tried to take her away with him. She ran away for the rest of the day after that. That was the very day my husband left." Rumiko stared down at the floor sadly. Taking the hint, Seiko carried on for her. 

"The following year, Rika spent her birthday listening to Rumiko and that…that bastard, argue over their possessions. Her birthday was completely forgotten that year… Then on her eighth birthday, she was put on the stand in court. She was made to choose between her mother and father because the court couldn't decide who to grant custody to and they refused to have shared custody over her," Seiko said. Ryo listened quietly to them, feeling more and more sorry for Rika with every word. No wonder she had been so angry and resentful when she was younger. A child's birthday was supposed to be the best day of the year and every year, Rika's was ruined or forgotten. Rumiko looked up and continued. 

"The year she turned nine was when the divorce was finalized and you can guess which day my husband chose to collect his things with his new girlfriend." A dark shadow clouded Rumiko's eyes as she spoke. "Every year after that, something bad would happen. I remember on her thirteenth, she was supposed to have lunch with her father. He left her waiting in the restaurant for three hours before she got up and left. He never even called to apologize or explain." Ryo sighed and looked out of the window. So that was why she hated her birthday so much… 

"When is her next birthday?" He asked quietly.

"On the tenth," Seiko replied. The tenth!

"That's four days from now!" Ryo said incredulously. Rumiko nodded slowly.

_Right then_, Ryo thought. _It's time Rika had a little fun on her birthday_. Standing up, he thanked Seiko and Rumiko and walked to the door. They followed him over and Rumiko smiled at him as he turned at the door. 

"You're going to do something for her, aren't you," she said. Ryo grinned and nodded. 

"A word of advice…don't tell her about it until the last minute. That way, she won't be able to weasel her way out of it."                

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Thanks for coming, guys." Ryo looked over all the Tamers as they sat in the Matsuki Bakery. They were actually in the house on top of it. This was where Takato lived with his parents. He and Jeri were sitting on the top bunk of Takato's double bunk bed and Kazu and Kenta were on the lower one. Henry was sitting on the chair by the computer and Ryo was simply standing in front of the window. 

"So why did you call us all here?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, what's up? You made it sound pretty urgent," Kazu added.

"Well," Ryo said. "I don't know if any of you knew this, but Rika's birthday is this Saturday." The Tamers all stared at him incredulously. 

"How did you ever get her to tell you?" Jeri asked in surprise. Ryo smirked at them all. 

"I didn't. I asked her mother and grandmother," he said. 

"Are you insane?!" Kazu asked in horror. "If Rika finds out you asked them, you'll never have kids!" Ryo chuckled lightly at this. 

"Don't worry, I don't think Rika is gonna do anything I'll regret," he laughed. 

"He _hopes_ is more like it," Kazu muttered to Kenta, who nodded in agreement. 

"Why did you call us all here just to tell us when Rika's birthday is?" Henry asked. The Tamers all muttered their agreement. Ryo grinned at their curious faces.

"Because I thought that she could use some cheering up and maybe have some fun on her birthday for once," he explained. Jeri looked up at him questioningly. 

"For once?" She asked. Ryo sighed and told them everything that Rumiko and Seiko had told him. 

"Poor Rika," Jeri whispered afterwards. 

"Yeah," Kazu added. "Dude, I would die if my parents forgot my _birthday_." The Tamers were all silent for a few seconds as they thought to themselves. Henry looked up at Ryo after a while and gave him a challenging look.

"So," he said. "What did you have in mind?" Ryo grinned, happy that he had gotten their co-operation so easily. 

"Well, it can't be anything to _involved_. I don't think Rika would enjoy that. I was thinking something simple but still fun and that," he said, turning to Jeri, "is where you come in." 

"Me?" She asked. Ryo nodded. 

"I need you to help me think of something that we could do that Rika would enjoy. But we need to do it fast because we only have four days to organize it." Jeri looked at Ryo apprehensively, but one reassuring glance from Takato and she was all revved up to go. 

"Right, Henry you'll be in charge of location. Once Jeri and I come up with an idea, I need you to find a place that you think Rika will like." Henry nodded, although he seemed a little confused. Finally, Ryo turned to the remaining people in the room. Takato, Kazu and Kenta. 

"You three are responsible for the food and things like that…oh and don't go over-board you two," he said, grinning at Kazu and Kenta. "We're on a strict budget here." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

And so it was done. For the next three days, the Tamers planned the event down to the last detail. Food, place, time…everything. They weren't inviting a lot of people. It would just be them. That way they could avoid any mishaps. 

The only problem they had now was finding Rika and getting her where they wanted her. This, of course, would be no easy task. No one knew were she went and she had refused to tell Rumiko the night before when she had waited up for Rika to come home. She had just walked right past her, ignoring her totally. The Tamers sat at Guilmon's Hideout, thinking desperately of a plan to lure Rika to her own party. 

"Why don't we just lasso her and drag her there?" Kazu said in frustration. "All this thinking is giving me a headache!" Ryo chuckled and shook his head. But Henry was staring at Kazu as if he thought he were a genius. 

"That's it!" He said, smiling in satisfaction. The Tamers stared at him curiously.

"You want us to lasso her?" Takato asked, intrigued at the idea. Henry sighed and shook his head.

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous." 

"Well, then what's your plan?" Ryo asked, sitting up slightly. Henry grinned and leaned forward.

 "I hope you guys are good actors…" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika sat staring out at the endless swirl of soft, white powder that covered the faint, pale blue of the sky. The clouds were floating lazily over her and as she watched them, she imagined them to be different things.

_That one kinda looks like Calumon…_she thought, looking up at a small, round cloud that had parts of it sticking out on either side in a sort of haphazard zigzag. She tuned her eyes to a bigger cloud. 

_And that one looks sorta like Ryo_. The cloud directly above her had an almost round, shape for his face, and a spiky top that looked like it had exploded out of the original shape. This indicated his hair. Then there was one that looked like Renamon…one that looked almost like a dragon…one that looked like a cloud. Her eyes drifted idly shut as she started to nod off. It was mid-morning on the tenth. A Saturday… Her sixteenth birthday. Like always, she would be spending it alone. But before she could allow her self to drift off into the peaceful world of slumber, where she wouldn't have to face up to her conscience or her loneliness, a strong hand shook her awake. Opening her eyes, half expecting and half hoping that it would be Ryo, Rika found herself staring into the bright blue eyes of Renamon. She looked anxious…nervous even. Rika sat up and looked at her earnestly. 

"What's wrong?" She said immediately. It was obvious by her expression alone that something was definitely out of place in the world. 

"It's not good, Rika. Gallantmon and Megagargomon had a disagreement over you and now they're fighting." Rika's eyes widened. 

"Where are they?" She asked. Renamon pointed out in the direction of the old abandoned train station. Rika looked over to it and sure enough, just as her eyes fell on the area, a huge explosion sent a tremor through the ground around her feet. She turned back to Renamon. 

"Let's go," she said. 

"We better Bio-merge. We won't be able to do anything like this." Rika nodded her agreement and within a matter of seconds, she and Renamon had become Sakuyamon and were flying towards the fight. As they neared the battle, Rika caught sight of Megagargomon's missiles narrowly missing Gallantmon. Putting on an extra burst of speed, she shot forward. Gallantmon was drawing electricity to the tip of his lance. Deciding on what to do, Rika threw herself in between him and Megagargomon. 

"Stop it!" Rika shouted. "What the hell has gotten into you two!?" Gallantmon and Megagargomon stared at her silently. Rika looked between the two of them and suddenly felt very nervous and defenseless. They were being so quiet…so mysteriously eerie. But before she could back away, an arm closed around her, pinning her own arms to her side. She felt something sharp press to her back and she froze. 

"J…Justimon," she almost whimpered. __

_Not you too…_Justimon held Rika tightly. Holding the tip of his sword to her back. He made special care not to press it to hard against her skin so that he wouldn't hurt her, but put just enough pressure into it to make her think he was serious. Rika was arching her back away from the blade slightly. Ryo felt her body tense against his as her fear and misery became pure anger and hatred. The true sense of the betrayal had hit her. Gallantmon and Megagargomon advanced on them. 

"I finally came up with an answer to your question about what we should do, Rika," Henry said maliciously. "You see, since it's _you_ the Devas want, I figured that if we either killed you or handed you over to them, then they would stop attacking us. Pretty smart huh?" Rika grimaced as Ryo pressed the blade closer to her and Gallantmon brandished his lance at her cruelly.  

"We could kill you right here, Rika," Ryo hissed in her ear. "But the Sovereign will probably pay a high price for you alive, so why don't you be a good girl and de-digivolve, okay?" So this was how it was going to be now huh? Well they weren't going to get her without a fight…even if it meant fighting Ryo and all her friends. There was an awful, yet very familiar, stinging in her chest. She had felt it many time before, but then she had been able to control the tears it brought along. Today however, the stinging was much more powerful and it overwhelmed her. She had been betrayed, by the people she trusted the most and as she felt the cold steel of Justimon's blade against her back…the harsh cruel gazes of Gallantmon and Megagargomon, the tears that had been building up behind her barriers over the years, poured down her cheeks for the world to see. She tried desperately to hide them, to demolish the flow, but it was useless and she hated herself for showing her weakness to the people she had once deemed friends. 

"Just do as they say Rika, we can't fight them all on our own," said Renamon's voice. It was killing her to see and feel the pain this was causing Rika and she knew it was the same for Ryo. Perhaps they had taken this a little too far. She felt Rika release her hold on their mega form and in a flash of light; all three Tamers were standing in the sun beside their partners. Rika dropped her gaze and looked away from Ryo and the others. Her shoulders drooped slightly and when Ryo grabbed them and led her out of the area, she made no protest. It was as if she had given up totally. Ryo felt an awful twinge of guilt rise in his chest. Rika really cherished the trust she had in the Tamers to always be her friends. And here they were, pretending to want her dead. He had a good mind to stop the joke right there and then and tell her the truth, but when he saw that they were nearing their destination, the thought was cast from his mind. She would forgive him and the others when she saw what they had done for her…hopefully. Rika looked up and stared at the building they were walking into. It was shaped like a huge dome, with massive letters printed across the front in varying shades of blue. She didn't have time to read what they said because Takato and Henry were now shoving her through the door to where the Deva they were selling her to would inevitably be waiting for them. 

A hand suddenly covered her eyes, obscuring her view of the room they were in. They walked on for a few minutes, Rika allowing her self to be led to her doom. She had lost the will to fight them now… A cold shiver ran up her spine and at first she thought it was nerves or fear, but after a couple of seconds, she realized that the place they were in was actually cold…really cold. In fact it was freezing in here. She shivered again, but either no one noticed or they just didn't care. Ryo, who had been guiding her through the building, his hand still covering her eyes, suddenly stopped walking and Rika felt herself shiver again, this time with fear and not cold. There was a soft shuffling sound and then, without warning, Ryo lifted his hand away from Rika's eyes and there was a collected shout of "SURPRISE!!" 

Rika stared in shocked confusion at the scene before her. She was standing in the outer ring of an ice rink and all the Tamers were there, some already skating on the ice and the rest sitting or standing around. Rika felt the heat rise in her face. They had tricked her and she had fallen for it. 

"Happy Birthday, Wildcat," Ryo smiled. He watched Rika carefully as she stood stock still in front of him. She was shaking slightly.

"What's the matter? Are you cold?" He asked. But she wasn't.

"Who's idea was this?" She asked. Ryo grinned slightly. 

"Mine. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Rika spun on her heel so fast, that before Ryo could tell what was happening, she had slapped him as hard as she could and was standing there, facing him with a furious glare. He staggered backwards and put his hand to his cheek.

"You stupid jerk!" She snapped and Ryo half expected her to turn and run out, but what she did only confused him even more than he already was. Instead of leaving, Rika flew towards him and hugged him tightly. 

"Thank you," she whispered softly. Ryo, finally realizing what was going on, smiled and tentatively hugged her back. His cheek was blood red and it was stinging painfully but he didn't care. Rika pulled back and looked up at him. She noticed the redness she had caused and blushed slightly.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Ryo chuckled and shook his head. 

"Don't worry about it. I guess I deserved it," he laughed. Rika smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, you did." 

Jeri walked over to them and smiled at Rika sweetly.

"Hi Rika! Happy Birthday!" She said happily. 

"Thanks, Jeri." Ryo took something from Henry and turned back to Rika who was looking out over the ice rink. He smiled at her and gently slipped the jacket Rumiko had given them onto Rika's shoulders. 

"We rented the place out for the day so we could have some fun," he explained. Rika turned to him and grinned. 

"You did all this for me?" She asked, looking at the party area that was beside the ice. It was quaintly decorated, nothing special but still…it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her and Rika loved it. 

"Your mom told me about what happened to you on all your other birthdays so we thought it would be nice if you had some fun for a change," Ryo said, handing her a pair of skates. She looked at him apprehensively. 

"I…I don't know how to skate," she admitted to him softly. Ryo chuckled and led her over to a bench so that she could put on her skates.

"Don't worry about it, I'll teach you," he grinned. Rika slipped her arms into her jacket and put on the blue ice-skates Ryo had given her. He sat down next to her and pulled on his own pair of blue skates. Standing carefully, he helped Rika walk over to the ice and she stepped out onto it. It felt so strange…it was like she was gliding across a mirror. But within seconds of being there, she lost her footing, slipped and crashed backwards into Ryo. They both laughed and when the rest of the Tamers realized what had happened, they laughed to.

"Sorry," Rika chuckled as Ryo pulled her to her feet. He brushed the ice off of himself and grinned.

"Maybe you should take it slow for a while…just until you get the hang of it." 

With a little guidance from Ryo, Rika soon found that ice-skating was very similar to roller-blading and within half an hour, she had gotten used to the feeling and was gliding elegantly across the ice. She watched as Jeri jumped into the air and although it wasn't very high it was still a good jump; she landed cleanly and didn't stumble at all. Deciding she would leave the jumps for later, until she was more used to skating, Rika tried a few tricks that she could do on her In-Line blades. Even though the texture of the hard rough gravel and tar she normally skated on was much different to that of this beautiful, shimmering mirror, it was much the same idea. 

Soon enough, Rika was sliding backwards across the ice in a neat wave. Choosing to make a small spin so that she could turn around without stopping, Rika twisted one foot slightly to the side and allowed her movement to curve into a graceful arch, before coming out in a straight forward glide again. Without realizing it, Rika had turned right into Ryo, who caught her and smiled. 

"Not bad," he grinned as he slipped his arms around her so that she wouldn't fall from the slight impact. They glided backwards for a while, until they slowed to a stop. Rika barely noticed the rest of the Tamers on the ice. Jeri was helping Takato learn to skate in a totally different universe. Kazu and Kenta had fallen on ice that was in a world gone from the one she was in with Ryo. It was like everything had disappeared. All she could see was the ice and his gloriously blue eyes. All she heard was the soft music somewhere far off in the distance…

"Hey," Ryo whispered, glancing around to make sure the other Tamers weren't listening. Rika looked up at him. She had cast her gaze down a few seconds before, when she had caught herself starting up at him. 

"What?" She muttered, wanting desperately to get out of his arms and away from him, but at the same time, wanting to stand there forever. What was happening to her? 

"Would you mind if I gave you your present a little later than everyone else?" He asked quietly. Rika looked up into his eyes and smiled.

"Sure. I'm actually surprised you got me anything at all. This party must have cost a fortune!" She said. Ryo grinned at her slyly and bent forward slightly, bringing his mouth to her ear. She shuddered slightly as his warm breath rippled across her cheeks when he spoke.

"Actually, to be totally honest, your mother gave us the money so we could rent this place. The rest we sort of just split out between us," he explained. Rika smiled and shook her head. Without noticing it they had started moving slowly to the music. Ryo was sliding leisurely backwards, his feet moving of their own accord and as he moved, he pulled Rika along with him. The only people who seemed to notice their little dance were sitting quietly on the benches on the outskirts of the rink. 

Henry had been chatting to the girl beside him when she had pointed Rika and Ryo out to him. He turned his eyes from them and looked back at the girl. She had long blonde hair that was tied into two pigtails. Her eyes were a pale blue that seemed almost sad. She was not wearing the black dress she had had on the first time they had met, but she was still wearing black. She wore black jeans with a very dark grey shirt. On top of that she wore a black jacket with white lines along the hems and stitching. The white zip was undone and the jacket flapped casually open. She was generally pretty. 

Her name was Alice McCoy. 

It had been Henry's idea to invite her. She was a Tamer too, but her partner, Dobermon, had died when he had given the Tamers the power to Bio-merge in the real world. She had looked very lonely and sad so the Tamers had agreed that it would be nice to get to know her. She could relate to Jeri too, since her mother had also died when she was younger and she had also lost her digimon partner. 

"Are they going out?" Alice asked curiously.

"Who? You mean Rika and Ryo?" He asked. Alice nodded and Henry couldn't help but chuckle. 

"No, but they should be. If you ask me, it's only a matter of time before Ryo asks her and Rika will undoubtedly say yes if he does," he said, looking at the two of them as they slid gracefully past them. 

"It's so obvious they like each other," Alice said thoughtfully. Henry shook his head and grinned.   

"Rika is way too stubborn and proud to admit it and Ryo is either to cautious to ask or just to blind to see that she likes him." Getting bored with the subject, Henry was about to strike up a new conversation when Kazu and Kenta crashed onto the floor. They had finally managed to get off the ice and were both panting heavily. Alice and Henry stayed silent for a few seconds before they burst out laughing. Getting hurriedly to their feet, Kazu and Kenta dusted themselves off and Kazu cleared his throat. 

"Uh…shouldn't Rika open her presents?" He said quickly. Henry, still chuckling lightly, nodded his agreement. He stood up, walked over to the CD player and turned down the music. Then, putting his fingers to his mouth, he whistled sharply. 

Rika and Ryo snapped out of their trance, looked over and immediately separated. Henry beckoned them towards him and, together with Jeri and Takato, they made their way to the small gate that led to the benches.

"It's time to open your gifts Rika," he said. Rika glanced at Alice and frowned in confusion. This was the girl that had helped them fight the D-Reaper. Smiling at her, Rika extended her hand to her. 

"I'm Rika," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before, but I was kinda…"

"Busy," Alice finished for her. "I know, I saw." She chuckled at Rika who flushed bright red and looked away. 

"C'mon Rika!" Jeri squealed excitedly. "I want you to open my gift first!" She grabbed Rika's arm and hauled her over to the table that held the various gifts the Tamers had brought for her. 

Takato, Kazu and Kenta had each gotten her some new cards and Takato had thrown in a CD. When Kazu realized that the pack of Digimon cards he had given her held the one rare card he had wanted for ages, he almost gave himself a concussion. Jeri had also given her a CD but instead of cards, she had added bright pink lipstick, which Rika thanked her for but had no intention of ever wearing. Henry had given her a book that she had wanted for quite a while. It was entitled 'Northern Lights' and was the first book in a series of three. Of course she didn't expect anything from Alice. They hardly knew each other and weren't exactly friends, although Rika thought that they might be in the near future. 

As Ryo had said, he didn't give her his gift in front of the others. Takato had jumped to the conclusion that Ryo had forgotten to get her one, so Ryo went with the story to prevent suspicion. Jeri, Alice and Henry, however, saw right through it, but deciding it was none of their business, they didn't say anything. 

They spent most of the time on the ice and ate when they wanted to. It was over all a very casual thing but still a lot of fun. 

Jeri spent the better part of two hours trying to teach Rika to jump and in the end, she could do it gracefully and easily. It had become as natural as leaping on foot. Her landings were smooth and she had even managed to combine one of them with a quick spin the second her feet touched the ice. 

By the time the party was finally over, it was getting dark outside. The Tamers called quick goodbyes to each other as they left, walking in pairs for safety. Kazu and Kenta left first, followed by Henry and Alice. 

Jeri waved cheerfully at Rika and Ryo as she turned to walk off with Takato. 

"I'll see you tomorrow Rika!" She called. Rika waved back and then turned to Ryo. They waited a few seconds before Ryo smiled and stepped closer to her. He had slipped a flat, square box out of his backpack and was now fiddling with it idly as he waited for Rika to notice it. She did and she eyed it cautiously as he handed it to her. 

It was wrapped in silvery-blue paper that shone softly in the fading sunlight. Rika glanced up at Ryo before carefully pulling off the wrapping. Ryo took it from her so that she could open the velvety box she now held in her hands. Her fingers closed around the latch and she flipped it open. Ryo had folded the paper now and put it in his bag with the rest of her gifts. He watched, with an apprehensive grin as Rika lifted the lid off the box with slightly trembling fingers.

All she could do was gasp because inside, nestled in soft silky material, was a beautiful, delicate gold chain. A small pendant was hanging from it in the shape of a fox head. It had two diamonds for eyes and underneath them, etched in silver, was thin zigzagging lines. 

"Renamon," she whispered. Ryo reached out and flipped the Renamon pendant over. Rika smiled as she read the words written in soft white gold. They were in an elegant sort of cursive and they swirled across the gold in beautiful twirls, loops and curves.

_Wildcat_…the name he had given her from the day he had met her. Those letters ran across the pendant almost as if Ryo were saying them himself, with that irritating grin of his. The dot on the 'i' was made with another, smaller diamond. Underneath this were the letters _R.A_. His initials. 

Rika looked up at him in stunned silence. 

"Do…you like it?" He asked hesitantly. 

"It's beautiful," Rika whispered fervently. She looked up at him doubtfully. 

"Ryo, I can't…" He wouldn't let her finish.

"You can and you will," he said softly. "I'm not taking it back, Rika. I bought it for you and I want you to keep it." Rika smiled up at him happily.

"Thank you," she said. Ryo smiled at her and nodded. He reached down and carefully lifted the necklace out of its box. Then, reaching around her neck, Ryo gently fastened the clip. He stood back and looked down at her as the necklace hung delicately on her chest. Rika smiled self consciously as Ryo watched her. 

"Come on," he said. "We should get going." Sighing softly, thoroughly relieved that she hadn't done anything stupid, Rika turned to walk with him.

They made their way down the street in silence, until they heard ringing sirens. Red and blue lights flashed on their faces as they stopped to see what was going on. 

Up ahead of them, a police car had stopped on the side of the road and a huge crowd was forming around something. Rika and Ryo looked at each other and then hurried up to the circle of people. 

"The ambulance is on its way," a policewoman was saying to her partner.

"What happened to her?" He asked.

"Another one of those Digimon things appeared and it attacked her. A young girl was trying to protect her, but the she left as soon as we got here." Rika shoved her way through the crowd catching glimpses of the other Tamers, all of which had stopped to look too. Finally, she broke free of the people and she had full view of the person lying on the ground in front of her. And as she stared down at them, she suddenly wished she had decided to ignore her inquisitive nature and walk right past, because there, lying totally still…was her grandmother. 

Before she knew what she was doing, Rika had knelt down beside her grandmother, tears forming in her eyes. She held them back and took a deep breath. The policewoman was telling her to stand back, but Rika made no move to do so. 

"Grandma," she whispered softly, she was leaning over her, her necklace dangling uselessly above her grandmother's head. Seiko opened her eyes slightly and looked up at Rika. She smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter a word, her eyes floated shut and her head fell back. Rika's breath caught in her chest. She felt winded and confused. Her eyes were burning and her chest was stinging painfully. Tears were flooding her eyes as she stared at her grandmother's form. She was…gone.

Rika felt a gentle hand reach out and touch her shoulder. Not even glancing back at the person, she jumped to her feet and hurled herself through the crowd, running as fast as she could, away from them and her grandmother. 

Ryo watched her for a second and then, abandoning the rest of the Tamers who were all staring after her in shock and pity, he ran after her. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika ran blindly on, not knowing or caring where she was. She ran right into the park and kept going. On through the trees and bushes, past the fountain and the benches. Suddenly, her foot caught on a root or a stone, she wasn't sure what and she fell hard on the ground, her arms out in front of her. She drew them in towards her and hid her face in them. Hot tears were running down her cheeks now, wetting the dry earth under her. She could hear the soft splashing of the lake as the wind blew it around gently. Leaves were blowing about her, but she didn't care. She heard and saw only pain. 

Ryo broke through the bushes he had seen Rika come through and then he saw her, lying face down on the hill beside the lake. He carefully approached her and as he came up beside her, he knelt down. He could see her back heaving from the effort to restrain her tears. 

Carefully lowering his arms, he slipped them around her and pulled Rika up, out of the dirt and into his arms. 

It was all she needed. Her tears broke free with renewed vigor and she sobbed into his chest. She was shivering and her tears were soaking the front of his shirt, but Ryo held her close to him and whispered softly to her. He didn't know what else to do, so he let her cry until her sobs were reduced to nothing more than shivers and the occasional sniff. She sat in his arms, her face buried into his chest. She felt tired and embarrassed that she had broken down so completely. Ryo had been stroking her back gently and she shut her eyes as he did. 

"Are you okay now?" He asked softly. Rika nodded, but didn't move from his arms. They were a source of comfort that she didn't want to give up just yet. 

Leaning into him more totally, Rika felt her pain turn to anger. A Digimon had done this. No, not just any Digimon. It had been another Deva. 

The anger turned to guilt. 

It was her fault. The Devas were attacking her family and friends to get to her. 

The guilt became anger again. Her mind was now focused on only one thing…revenge. But then, her logical mind started overpowering that. That was exactly what they had wanted. In her blind anger, she would have let her guard down totally. No, she had to stay strong.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Rika looked up at Ryo. Her cheeks were tear streaked and she was slightly pale, but her expression was one of pure determination. 

"I don't care what Renamon and Cyberdramon say," she said, as Ryo watched her. "I'm going to the Digital World."

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- No! Please don't kill me! I'm too young to die!!! *Ducks as angry crowd throw various weapons at her*

I know you're all gonna hate me for killing Rika's gran…but hey, it's my fic and at least now Rika is finally going to go to the Digital World. Or is she… To find out if Renamon lets Rika go, review as fast as you can and I'll write faster. 

Anywho, time to acknowledge my *cough, cough* fans:

*Akino Matoumiken – Thank you. But what does 'hte' mean? Was it a typo for 'hate'?

*KristieXXNguyen- If you thought the previous chapter was sad then I hope you had tissues handy for this one! ;)

*Shadow Fox- Thanks! I will!

*Sam8- Thank you so much! That was really nice of you! You should read 'There for you' it's my favorite Ryuki fic! It's very good!

*Hellomimmy- Flatterer! Thank you!

*Lavos- Please explain to me what your connection with Ryo is! I'm dying with curiosity and I'm not a cat so it won't kill me…at least…I _think_ I'm not a cat.

*DigiqueenTMIM- Hey, what does TMIM stand for?  


	8. Calm before the Diamond Storm

A/N Sorry this chapter…along with the last…took so long to come up. Fanfiction.net has been giving me some serious login problems for ages!! Every time I try to login, it freezes or takes _ages_ and then when I'm finally able to upload my Docs it says there were internal errors!!! Dammit it's irritating!!! 

Anyway…for future reference, the name Koronamon is pronounced core-on-a-mon.

So, down to business…

PS- The song is 'Hello' by Evanescence. 

PPS- If there ids anyone who has copied this onto a Word Document, please could you send the names of the few Devas I mentioned in the mini conversation between Zihuralamon and the Devas. I lost my entire story and I can't remember what I said!!! Please, I need those names!!  

Chapter 8 Calm before the Diamond Storm 

Ryo stepped out of Rika's front door and glanced back inside before shutting it. He had let himself out after taking Rika home and as he looked back at the heart-wrenching scene before him, he almost cried himself. Rika was trying to console her weeping mother in a warm embrace. 

The news was out…Seiko was dead.

*********  

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

Has no one told you she's not breathing? 

Hello I'm your mind giving you 

Someone to talk to

Hello

*********

Rain was falling heavily from the sky, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for them. Ryo made his way slowly back home, feeling confused and tired. 

Rika…all this was happening to and because of her. No, not because of her, because someone out there wanted her dead…just like Seiko. 

The image of Seiko's cold, lifeless body flashed in front of Ryo's eyes. Then suddenly, it was Rika lying there on the rough, icy tar. Pale, cold and…dead. Ryo shuddered and shook his head. 

*********

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

Don't try to fix me I'm not broken

Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide

Don't cry

*********

The streets were quiet; the only sound that of the persistent rain. Had he been crying now, no one would have ever known…but he wasn't. He had to stay strong for Rika. He had to, now more than ever, be there to protect her. It was all so unfair. But it had happened and the sooner they accepted it, the easier it would be to recover.

He knew Rika would be fine. She was strong and used to pain. 

But still…he would be there.

*********

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping

Hello I'm still here

All that's left of yesterday.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika sat at her desk in school. She was staring at the exam before her with unfocused eyes. How was she supposed to concentrate on her Math paper? 

Shaking her head slightly to get rid of the daze, she blinked and picked up her calculator. Just a few more meaningless calculations and equations and she could go home to prepare for her journey. 

Tapping softly on the keys of her calculator, she tried desperately to keep her mind on the sum she was doing. Her hand ached with the speed at which she wrote down the final answer to the last question.

There, she was done. Packing away her calculator and her stationary, Rika stood up, handed her paper to her teacher and left the class. She strolled silently to the fountain and sat down on the benches around it. She had been first to leave the class and wanted to go home, but she had promised Ryo she would wait for him. So, taking out a small black notebook and her blue Parker, she started making the list of things she would need. 

She was going shopping today with Ryo, which was why she had said she would wait for him. Looking down at the list she had been making, she realized just how many things they would need. 

It hadn't been an easy task, but she had persuaded…or more appropriately, forced Renamon to take her back to the Digital world. The Devas needed to be stopped and that meant going right to the root of the problem…the Sovereign. 

A soft noise snapped Rika out of her thoughts. She looked up to see what it was and saw Ryo walking towards her. He had an almost apprehensive look on his face. He stopped in front of her and she looked back down with a small sigh. 

"Don't worry Akiyama," she said softly as she scribbled more things onto her list. "I'm not gonna break down on you again." Ryo sat down on the bench and looked at the list Rika had been making. It was getting pretty long. 

Deciding that she needed a little cheering up (a lot's more like it), Ryo took the list from her and smiled at it. 

"This is getting quite long, Rika. How do you plan on paying for all of this?" He asked. Rika looked up at him and with a small smirk, snatched back her list. 

"Need I remind you that my mother is an internationally famous super model?" She said. Ryo chuckled lightly.

"How could I forget? I saw her picture on the side of a bus a couple of days ago." He smirked at the disgusted look on Rika's face and stood up. Offering her his hand, Ryo gently pulled Rika to her feet and smiled at her.  

"Come on," he said, leading her out of the school grounds. "By the looks of it, we have a lot to buy, so we better get started."  

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika walked up and down the long aisles of a store devoted totally to camping equipment. Flashlights, water canteens, backpacks (big and small)…anything you needed to survive in the outdoors. 

Rika looked over a small tent that was just big enough for two people to sleep in. It folded up into a very small package that could easily fit into the bottom of a backpack. Lifting it off the shelf, Rika placed it in the basket of things she was buying. Then she made her way over to a stand that was piled with binoculars and telescopes. She picked out the best set of Binoculars she could find and added them to her basket. 

Ryo was scanning the shelves just a few aisles away from Rika. 

He looked at a display of very beautifully crafted compasses, but grinned and shook his head, moving away. A compass would be totally useless in the Digital World. 

His eyes fell on a mini gas stove. Perfect. He lifted the box off the shelf and moved on, adding several boxes of matches to his collection of things. 

Rika came around the corner and looked up at Ryo. He was looking at a rack strung with backpacks the perfect size for hiking. Rika looked at them as well and picked out one that she liked. She needed a new one considering her only other one had been eaten by the D-Reaper's Chaos. 

Ryo took the list from Rika's, now very overcrowded, hands and checked it. They had almost everything they needed but the last thing wouldn't be found here. 

"Alright," he said to Rika, relieving her of some of the things she was carrying. "We have everything we need from here, let's go." They walked up to the counter and paid for their items before leaving the shop. 

The last place they needed to visit was a Toyshop down the road. 

They stepped into the cool, air-conditioned building and Rika breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Thank goodness," she said. "Another minute in that heat wave outside and I would've had a stroke!" Ryo chuckled lightly, happy that Rika was joking around again. She had been very distant and unhappy ever since her Grandmother had died…but it had only happened three days ago and Ryo knew that the pain was still fresh. 

He followed her over to a small stand in the back of the store that sold what they needed.

Digimon Cards.

It had actually been Ryo's idea for them to stock up on some new cards. If they planned on beating the Devas _and_ the Sovereign, then they were going to need all the tricks in the book. 

Rika asked the lady working there for four packs of cards and looked through them as Ryo got himself some as well. 

"Get anything worthwhile?" Ryo asked as they walked out of the shop. 

"Yeah," Rika nodded. "I got a Goliath card and a few good attack cards. I haven't looked at all of them yet though." Ryo looked up and watched the passing cars. It was getting late and the traffic would be at its peak soon. 

"Hey," Ryo suddenly said. 

"Hmm?"

"Does everyone know when to meet us?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I told Jeri to tell everyone. I know how much that girl loves to use her phone." Ryo grinned at this. 

"Have you told your mom yet?" He asked. Rika sighed and shook her head. 

"And I'm not planning to either. If I did, she would probably lock me in my room just to stop me. No, I'm sneaking out around half-past eleven, that should give me enough time to get to Guilmon's hideout by twelve." 

"But I thought that entrance was buried," Ryo said. He had thought they were just _meeting_ in the park and that they were going to find another way through. 

"Well, let's just say…Guilmon _unburied_ it for us," Rika chuckled.   

"I see," Ryo said with a small smile. "Well then, shall I walk you home your Highness?" Rika sighed and shook her head in mock irritation. 

"You really know how to get on a person's nerves don't you Akiyama. Tell me, do you purposefully irritate _me_ or are you like this around everyone?" She said, glaring at him playfully. 

"Don't worry my liege," Ryo grinned, happy to have cheered her up more. "I save my charming wit for you and you alone. You know how much I love you." Rika raised a delicate eyebrow at him.

"Thanks…I think." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika snuck around the back of her house and carefully opened her window. Being as quiet as she could, she slipped her shopping bags into her room and shut the window again. If her mother saw the things she had bought, it would be a sure fire give away. 

Making her way back to the front of the house, she picked the best ways of getting out without being noticed. Getting away from her mother would be easy enough, but to get to the park without being seen would be a lot harder. 

She stepped into the house and kicked off her shoes. 

"Mom! I'm home!" She called. 

"There you are, Rika. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day. Why don't you have your cell-phone with you?" Rumiko came out of the kitchen and smiled at Rika weakly.

"I…I was out mom. I…" A thought suddenly struck her, an idea that would get her mother off her back without any questions.

"I was on a date and I didn't think it would be appropriate to have my ear stuck to my phone the whole time," she lied. Rumiko's face lit up.

"You…you were on a date?" She cried happily. "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" 

_Oh great_, Rika thought bitterly. _So much for the _no questions _idea_. She smiled up at her mother, hoping this would end the conversation.

"Who ever said it was a boy?" She asked and then quickly hurried away before her mother could catch on. 

She slipped into her room and shut the door. With a quick turn of the key, her door was locked and she was safe. 

_Right_, she thought. _Time to get started_. She moved over to her window and picked up her bags. Tipping them over, she dumped the contents onto her mattress and sorted through them. 

Renamon suddenly appeared beside her. 

"Have you got everything?" She asked. Rika nodded as she carefully opened her new backpack, praying that her mother wouldn't hear the zip. 

"Yeah, all I need know is something warm to wear and I'll be ready." 

"Rika, are you sure you want to do this? The Digital World is very different to what you experienced before. Everything has changed…are you positive you're up to it?" Renamon asked. Rika looked up at her seriously. 

"I don't care how much it's changed, Renamon," she said fiercely, tossing things into the open backpack. "The Devas have to be stopped. It would be just as dangerous for me to stay here, as it would if I went to the Digital World. At least this way, I'll be doing something about it, instead of sitting on my ass like some helpless two year old!" Renamon sighed and disappeared. Rika turned back to the blanket she was folding up and made it as small as she could before putting it on top of the mini tent that was resting on the bottom. She didn't have to worry about food since you didn't need to eat in the Digital World, but she would be taking her water canteen…just in case. 

The last time she had gone there, she hadn't been properly prepared, but this time, she wasn't leaving anything to chance. 

Once she was packed, she double-checked that she had everything and then slipped her bag into her cupboard. Looking up and down the rows of clothing she had, she picked out her warmest jacket. It was black with white lining the hems. The zip was white too and there was a small logo over the place where a pocket would have been. It had deep pockets near the bottom that were also lined with white.

She pulled this off the rack and folded it up, resting it neatly on her backpack. 

Now she was ready…well, almost. 

Sighing lightly, Rika walked back into her room and sat down on her traditional mattress. She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag along with her parker pen. 

Her hand traced slowly across the page, etching small neat little words onto the glaring white of the paper. Her hand was shaking slightly, but her handwriting was so strange that no body would have noticed. 

The letters looped and crossed in a sort of cryptic hieroglyphic type of script. It looked as if she should have been a writer in the olden days. 

When she had finally finished, Rika looked over the letter she had written. It was short but sweet: 

Dear Mom 

_I've gone to the Digital World. Please don't worry; I'll be with Renamon and Ryo for sure. I'm not entirely certain that the others are coming but I'll be safe. _

_I'll be home soon, so don't fret too much, okay? _

_Remember what Grandma always said, excess worrying leads to premature wrinkles and I'm sure Cocoa would hate that._

_Take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid. _

_I'll see you soon._

_Rika _

Rika carefully folded the note up and put it on her pillow. Now she was completely ready. Sighing softly, she picked up her art notes and pretended to learn for the exam she wouldn't be writing tomorrow. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika lay on her mattress, staring at the ceiling. She glanced at the digital clock next to her bed. 

11: 22pm

_All right_, she thought. _Time to go_. She got up and, as quietly as she could, opened her cupboard and pulled out her backpack. Making sure she had everything, she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door that led onto her own little porch. She slipped her D-Power onto her belt and her cards into their holder. 

The door slid open without resistance, the only sound being that of polished wood sliding effortlessly over polished wood. 

Rika crept out of the door and carefully knelt down to pick up her sneakers. 

She paused for a moment to listen. All clear.

She took her first step and the wooden patio creaked loudly. She froze immediately, silently cursing her luck. 

Everything was quiet so, breathing a soft sigh of relief, she moved on. She slid her feet across the wooden surface to prevent any more noise and was thoroughly relieved when she put her feet down on the warm, sweet grass. She sat down and pulled on her sneakers, then paused again. 

The only noise was that of the small waterfall at the head of the water feature in her yard…all-else was hushed. Looking around, Rika felt satisfied that there was no one else there so she relaxed.

"Renamon?" She called softly. A yellow figure appeared beside her.

"Are you ready?" Renamon asked.

"As I'll ever be. Come on, let's go." 

They hurried across the grass, two silent shadows in the darkness of the night. Renamon ran ahead and checked for any signs of waking life, but there was none. 

When Rika arrived at the park, it was midnight exactly. She moved quietly to Guilmon's hideout and crept inside. There was a freshly dug patch of earth and Rika could see the glow of the Digital gate from where she was sitting. 

There was no one here.    

Rika leant back against the wall of the small building and shut her eyes. She was tired. She sighed and made a mental not to find a place to sleep as soon as the got to the Digital World.

Renamon was suddenly beside her.

"Rika, someone's coming," she said. Rika opened her eyes and sat up. 

"Who is it?" She asked. 

"I think its Ryo." 

"Oh," Rika said softly. Well obviously he would be there. He had promised her he would come. 

Just as Renamon had said, Ryo came around the corner and ducked into the little building. 

"Hey Wildcat. You okay?" He asked as he sat down beside her and looked her over carefully. The faint pink light coming from the gate was lightly visible on her face. Her skin was glowing the soft pink and it made her look so calm and…magnificently beautiful.  

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, leaning back into the wall. "I hope everyone comes." Ryo looked at her sadly. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he hadn't seen anyone else. 

Cyberdramon stuck his head into the door. 

"There are more Tamers coming," he growled. Ryo looked out the door and smiled. Takato and Jeri were walking up the path towards the hideout. 

Ryo and Rika got up and went out to meet them. 

"Thanks for coming guys," Rika said happily. She was glad that at least _somebody_ had come. 

"We weren't gonna leave you to fight them on your own, Rika," Takato said as he dumped his bag next to hers and Ryo's inside the hideout. "What kind of friends would we be if we did?" Rika didn't say anything to this and just stood there in silence, waiting for the rest of the Tamers…if they were coming at all.

Two figures appeared at the end of the path and as they came closer Rika realized that one of them was Henry and the other, a person she hadn't expected to show up. In fact, she hadn't even thought about the possibility of this person wanting to come. But there she was.

Alice McCoy. She had her hair in her usual pigtail style, but instead of the black dress, she now wore a pair of black sweatpants and a black jacket, under which she wore a white shirt. She looked uncomfortably hot and Rika could understand why. 

The heat wave hadn't gone, even after sunset. It was just a little less hot and a lot more humid.    

"Nice to see you again," Alice said as she climbed the steps to the rest of the group. She looked back down the path and sighed in frustration. 

"Are you two idiots coming or what?" She called. 

"Yeah, yeah! We're coming!" Shouted Kenta's voice.

"Hold your horses!" Kazu called. "I swear," he muttered, not actually intending for them to hear. "That girl is almost as bad as Rika!" The result of this little comment was that when they came around the corner, Kazu and Kenta were met by the very angry glares of two _very_ short-tempered girls. 

They were both so scared that they toppled over backwards and fell down the short flight of stairs landing hard on their butts.

Rika smirked triumphantly and turned around. She looked over all her friends and smiled. 

"Thanks guys," she said, slightly humbled by the friendship they were proving. The Tamers all looked at her as if to say, "you thought we weren't coming?" Rika blushed slightly at this and turned away again. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw three small figures running towards them. Seconds later, Ai, Mako and Suzy skidded to a halt in front of her. 

"How come you left me behind, Henwy?" Suzy said indignantly. "I wanna come too!" Henry looked at her in frustration and was about to say something, but Rika held up her hand to stop him. 

"Let her come, _Henwy_," she said, grinning slightly. "She's a Tamer too." Henry sighed in defeat, but hid his anger from both Rika and Suzy. 

"We want to come too!" Ai said.

"Yeah! Us and Impmon wanna help!" Mako agreed. A small black Digimon hopped down from the trees and landed beside Ai.

"Hiya guys," he said in his oddball, to-cool-to-care-voice. "How's it hanging huh?" 

"Impmon!?" Rika said in shock. "What…how did you get here?" 

"I came to help you's guys and that's all you can say? Sheesh, you try te help someone and this is what ye get, baboom!" He folded his arms and huffed. Rika smiled at him and shook her head. Renamon stepped forward and looked down at Impmon. 

"You really want to help us?" She asked. 

"Sure I do. Ye didn't think I was gonna let you have all the fun did ya, Fox-face?"  Renamon chuckled lightly and nodded. 

Rika looked down at Ai and Mako's determined faces and sighed. There was no way she would be able to talk them out of it.  

"Sure, you guys can come. Did you pack something warm?" She asked.

"Yeah," Ai said, showing Rika her jacket. "Impmon said it was really cold there so we took our winter things."

"How about you, Suzy?"

"I brought my jacket too," she said, presenting her full length pink jacket. Rika nodded and turned around. 

"Okay, is everyone ready?" She asked. 

"Wait!!!" The Tamers all spun around. A girl was hurtling up the path towards them, but she wasn't running.

She was riding a Digimon. 

The Digimon stopped in front of them and the girl hopped off it's back. She landed gracefully on the ground and straightened up. Her hair was long and pulled back in a messy bun. She had strands hanging out at her ears, like Rika's, but she had no fringe. Evidently, it had been grown out and was now long enough to be pulled back as well. The color was just visible in the light form the park lamps. Brown with a coppery shade of red to it. She had blondish-red highlights that made her hair look like it was burning. Her eyes seemed to have no fixed color. They slipped and changed in between green and brown depending on how the light caught them. 

She was tall and slender, her body flowing in graceful curves. She seemed oddly familiar to Rika as she stood there, watching her…but who she reminded her of, Rika couldn't tell. 

"Who are you?" She asked, taking a step forward. The girl brushed herself off and looked up.

"My name's Alexandra…Alex for short." Her voice was soft and clear, but had the sort of tone that said 'mess with me and die'. She looked like the type of person that you stayed away from out of fear, but wanted to be friends with anyway. 

"That's it?" Rika asked. "What about your last name?" Alex smiled lightly, although it was closer to a very familiar smirk. 

"I don't have a last name. Its just Alex," she said simply. Rika narrowed her eyes and frowned suspiciously.

"Okay, then what do you want?" She asked.

"Well," Alex said leisurely. "I figured that since I was the one who so selflessly tried to save your Grandmother, you might want my help. Koronamon and I can do a substantial amount of damage to any Deva." Rika turned to look at the big Digimon Alex had ridden on. 

It was tall and strong looking. Its legs curved slightly and it stood like Renamon did, making it look like it was standing on its toes. It had a long tail and long fingers that ended in sharp black claws. Its neck was long and graceful and the head almost dinosaur-like. It had a soft snout and ears similar to Guilmon's only they bordered closer to bird wings than bat wings. The eyes were a stunning shade of blue, so beautiful that you could stare at them and become captivated by their spell. A mark was formed around the snout and moved in towards the eyes, ending right underneath them. It was thick around the snout and thinned out to almost invisible until it thickened again under the eye, ending in a sharp, curving point. At the nose it was a lovely green and it faded to sapphire blue under the eye. 

Shaking her head slightly, Rika listened as Ryo read the information on the Digimon. 

"Koronamon. A Mystical Vaccine type Digimon. Its attacks are Ultima Flare, Spirit flush and Berserk Rush. Hang on, this can't be right…" Rika looked back at him.

"What is it?" She asked, walking over to him to read over his shoulder. 

"It says that it's at Rookie level but…its power scale is higher than Cyberdramon's!" Rika's eyes widened and she looked up at Alex incredulously. Alex seemed to be getting a little irritated. 

"Look, do you want my help or not, Rika?" She asked. Rika gave her a confused look.

"How did you know my name?" She asked. 

"Easy. One, you're the Digimon Queen. Two, your mother is a famous model and my father runs a modeling agency. And three, you're one of the _Saviors_ of the world. Just about everyone knows who you are." She turned suddenly to Koronamon, who had looked at her so sharply that you would think they were in danger.

"I felt it too," she said. "Go see what it is boy." Koronamon nodded and all of a sudden, he was gone. 

"What…" Rika started. 

"There's someone here," Alex said. 

"How did you…"

"Koronamon and I have a sort of psychic thing going on between us. He can become invisible and warp from place to place at will…he found the person. It's a man…he works for the government." 

Koronamon came around the corner, leading an unperturbed Yamachi to the Tamers.

"Hello," he said as he came up to them. "Nice of you to send me an escort." He smiled at the Tamers and stepped towards Rika. 

"I thought you might try something so I organized you a little gift." He handed Rika what looked like a mini laptop. Intrigued, Rika flipped it open to reveal a small screen and a keypad. The screen was touch-sensitive.  

"This is a visual data transporter," he explained. "A videophone in simpler terms. I have several others and I'll be sending them to your parents in the morning. This way, you can contact us whenever you need to." Rika looked down at the small machine and then up at Yamachi. 

"Thank you," she said and put it away. 

"I'll be going now," Yamachi said as he turned to leave. "You kids be careful in there." He left without another word and the Tamers watched him go.

Rika looked back at Alex. 

"Do you really want to help us?" She asked. Alex just nodded. Rika turned and walked to the hideout. Terriermon, Guilmon and Calumon were playing inside it. 

"Then I suppose you can come too, but if you cross me…" she turned to Alex and smirked. "Your fancy Dino won't be the only thing disappearing." Rika ducked inside, picked up her bag and, pausing slightly to wait for Ryo, she crawled into the portal. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- Hi again. So, did you like it? I know there wasn't any action, but hey, you can't always just have blood and gore. Sometimes you got to get a little serious. Anywho, I'll be going now, my back is killing me and I'm tired so…toodles!!

PS- thanks for the reviews!!!


	9. Neither sleet nor snow nor hail

A/N- Hello!!!!!! How are ya!? *Suddenly yawns* Wow, I must be more tired than I thought. ..anyway, I have an adoring public to please…so I won't sleep now. You people better appreciate the sacrifices I'm making for you!!! ;) 

Anywho…time to recognize my *cough, cough* fans:

Lavos- I don't really know anything about the game except that Ryo is the Hero and that Millenniumon is the villain. Apparently it's female and I heard a _rumor _that it's supposed to _like_ Ryo. *Shudders* As for Leomon and Dobermon…I'm not saying, but you're right, Leomon's death did almost ruin it…Rika, Ryo and Renamon made it cool though…;)

Hello*mimmy- Thanks for the compliment…I'm…er…sorry I made your friend cry. *Whispers* Psst…is he gay?

Blue Panda- Thanks!!

KristiexxNguyen- I know, I feel sorry for her too…hehe…I'm so evil!

DigiqueenTMIM- AAAAARGH!!! You can't do this to me!!! I have to know!! Just telling me _that_ wont help!! I'm pathetic with things like that!!! PS You don't like Jurato? Strange, not a fan myself, but I do use it as a backup.

Amethyst Blizzard- Please!! Don't hurt me!!! I'm so young! Heh, you were right, I did sorta…borrow their idea, but I was gonna kill Seiko from the beginning. 

Okay, enough recognition…on with the show!!!

Chapter 8 

Neither sleet nor snow nor hail

Rika ducked out of the way of a flying calculus equation. It hit Kenta in the forehead and his yelp echoed eerily around them. 

Even with her sunglasses on, Rika had to squint to see through the bright blue light. Ryo was walking beside her, looking around as if this place was new to him. But it couldn't possibly be new, because he had been to the Digital World long before she had. But as Rika thought about this, she suddenly realized that she had never really asked how he had gotten to the Digital World in the first place. She shook her head free of the thought, deciding to ask him later when she wasn't in fear for her life. 

There was a sudden surge of electrical energy and Rika was suddenly hanging upside-down. Ryo and Cyberdramon were floating nearby her and Renamon had taken a hold of her arm to prevent them from getting separated. 

"Should I choose which way is down again?" Jeri suggested. Rika looked around her and smirked. The way she was floating, it felt very much like she was pointing down, but she knew from experience that where they were now, up and down was all the same. It depended on your own perception. 

"Let's just say down is this way," Rika said, pointing above or below her head, it didn't really matter which one it was since they were the same.

"Not again!!" Takato cried. 

The force that had kept them all suspended in mid air let go of the Tamers and they all plunged downward towards large pinkish plates that gave way to a blue sky. Rika braced herself for the fall; she could hear Ai, Mako and Suzy all screaming in fear. 

A soft sort of pressure hit her body as Rika fell through the plates, but before she could fall any further, she felt a pleasurable warmth surround her and she blacked out. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A terrible cold was surrounding Rika's body and she awoke with a gasp. Her eyes stung painfully and when she wiped them, her hands got wet. Strange, she didn't remember Digi-Phirmha being wet; if she could recall correctly, it had been a desert... 

Pushing herself up into sitting position, Rika looked around the crater she had made in her fall. She shook her head and something cold and wet fell onto her neck. She shivered and zipped up her jacket. Renamon hadn't been kidding when she had said that the Digital World had gotten colder. In fact, it was freezing here! 

Getting gingerly to her feet, Rika dusted herself off and looked around her again. The other Tamers had all fallen around her and they had each made a crater of their own. 

A hand was extended to her and Rika looked up at Ryo's smiling face. She accepted it and he pulled her out of the bowl. 

As soon as Rika was standing properly and she was stable on the slippery ground she looked up and gasped. 

The entire Digital plain, that had once been a scorching desert land, was now covered in snow! 

A frigid wind was sweeping across the area, bringing more snow with it. Rika shivered and moved closer to Ryo.

"Oh my G…" Her words trailed off with the frozen wind. 

All around them, the Tamers were rousing themselves and getting up out of the snow. Their reactions were all similar to Rika's. Astonished awe. 

"Dude…" was all Kenta could muster to say. Kazu simply nodded in agreement. 

The once dull brown land was now a blinding white wonder world. The mountains looked like glistening castles, looming over the Tamers ominously. 

"It's so strange," Alex said as she stepped up beside Rika. Rika turned to look at her and in the sudden sunrise, she saw, for the first time, what Alex really looked like. 

Her hair, that had seemed dark brown in the darkness, was now clearly a lovely cinnamon color. The auburn bands were really the same orange red that Rika had and her eyes were now shining bright emerald green.

She was wearing dark blue jeans that had a wide denim belt attached to them. They were low rising and looked as if they were molded to her body like a second skin. Her cotton shirt was black and the long sleeves laced at the ends like shoes. She was wearing a medium blue, hooded jacket over that. It had the word 'Adidas' printed across her chest and the zip split it down the middle. Her sneakers were blue, grey and white with white souls. She was wearing a leather wristband that had metal spikes on it in rows of twos. Between these were little silver studded stars.

There was a leather cardholder, identical to Rika's, attached to Alex's belt and her D-Power was hanging beside it. It was a shimmering silvery-blue color and the ring around the screen was silver. She had two earrings in one ear and the other ear only had one. Her face was irritatingly familiar to Rika, but she still couldn't place why. 

Getting frustrated, Rika turned to look at her surroundings again. Renamon was conversing quietly with Koronamon. He was such a pure shade of white that he made the snow around him look grey. 

Renamon's eyes widened at what Koronamon was telling her and she glanced briefly at Rika. 

Feeling extremely exposed, Rika turned away from them and looked at Ryo. He was scanning the sky. 

"What are you looking for?" She asked, her words and breath coming out as a mist before her. 

"Cyberdramon," Ryo said simply. "He's looking for somewhere safe for us to take shelter for a while." Rika couldn't help but smile at this.

_Always so practical…stupid Ryo_, she thought, her smile becoming mischievous. She looked up as well and looked around again. 

There were pink Data Streams zooming around the area, but none of them were close enough to worry about so she ignored them.

_Why are there so many pink things in this stupid world?_ She thought in irritation. Her eye suddenly picked up on something black against the white of the snow.

It was Cyberdramon. 

He flew towards them and landed in front of Ryo.

"There is a suitable cave not to far from here. It is warm and we will be safe there," he growled. Ryo patted his arm lightly.

"Good job, boy," he said. The Tamers were huddling together around Rika and Ryo now. 

"So, are we going there or not?" Kenta asked.

"Yeah, Dude. If I don't start moving my legs are going to freeze!" Kazu agreed.

"And if you don't shut up, I'll personally make sure you mouth _freezes_ shut!" Rika said angrily. Kazu glared at her, but a single look from Rika made him quail in fear. Smirking triumphantly, Rika turned to Jeri who was shivering against Takato. Calumon was curled up in her arms, but when he saw the open gap in Rika's jacket, he flew into it and hid deep inside it. Rika chuckled and zipped it shut, holding her arms over the shivering bundle that was Calumon. 

"Right, I think we should get going," Takato said, his teeth chattering slightly.

"I'm with Takato. If we don't find shelter soon, we'll all freeze," Henry said seriously. 

"Okay," Ryo turned to Cyberdramon. "Is it far, pal?" 

"No, you will get there faster if you ride though."

"Okay then. Guilmon, you ready to digivolve?" Takato asked.

"I'm ready when you are Takato!" He said happily. 

"Renamon?" Rika turned to her partner. She nodded and Rika and Takato raised their D-Powers. 

"Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!" They said in unison. To digivolution cards were swiped through two D-Powers and in a lash of light, Renamon and Guilmon both Digivolved. 

"I'll take Ai, Mako and Suzy," Kyubimon said as she stood beside Rika. "They will be warmer in my fur." Rika nodded to the three children and they clambered onto Kyubimon's back, Impmon climbing on after them. Growlmon picked Takato up and then lifted Kazu, Kenta and Henry up as well. Terriermon was huddled up inside of Henry's jacket, but he seemed okay. 

"You can ride with me and Koronamon, Jeri," Alex said. 

"Oh…thank you." Jeri smiled at her and allowed Koronamon to lift her into his arms while Alex climbed onto his back. Alice had hopped onto Growlmon with Henry and she was sitting, holding onto the white hair on his head. 

This left only Rika. 

Ryo grinned at her and extended his hand to her. 

"Need a lift, Wildcat?" He asked. Rika glared at him playfully and shook her head in mock exasperation. Chuckling lightly, Ryo pulled her onto Cyberdramon's back behind him. Rika was forced to wrap her arms around his waist when Cyberdramon kicked off into the air, nearly throwing her off.  

"Alright, Cyberdramon!" Ryo called. "Lead the way!" With a burst of speed, Cyberdramon took off, with the rest of the Digimon following close behind. The only one who seemed to be having a bit of trouble keeping up was Growlmon. This, however, was remedied by a quick 'Hyper Speed' card. They were going at an incredible pace and Rika was holding onto Ryo so tightly, she was almost scared she was hurting him. 

"You okay back there, Wildcat?" Ryo called over the roaring wind. 

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Rika shouted back. 

"We're almost there!" They heard Cyberdramon growl. 

"Thank goodness!" Rika said in relief. Ryo chuckled at this and Rika smiled. But before she could make her comeback, Cyberdramon had landed heavily on the ground at the mouth of a cave. 

Rika and Ryo hopped off his back and they walked into the cave. The rest of the Tamers followed them in when they arrived.

Cyberdramon had been right; the cave was perfect. It was large enough to house all of them and there was a short corridor that led from the entrance to the largest part of the cave, shielding them from the wind. 

"Nice work," Ryo said proudly to Cyberdramon.

Within minutes, they had a fire crackling merrily in the middle of the domed area and they were all considerably warmer. 

They were now plagued with the problem of what they were going to do next. They were all tired and no one had any idea as to what they should do.

Rika yawed and leaned back into a stalagmite that had sprouted form the cave floor.

"I think we should get some rest," she said tiredly. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted."

"Rika's right. We're all tired and we won't stand a chance against the Devas if they find us like this. Cyberdramon, will you take the first watch?" Ryo asked. Cyberdramon growled his approval and walked to the cave door, picking a spot that was out of the wind. 

The next few minutes were spent packing out sleeping bags and blankets. When they were all finally lying down, Rika rolled onto her side and sighed. 

"Goodnight, Rika." 

"Goodnight, Ryo," she whispered quietly. They were lying close to each other, just like the others. They were lying in pairs for warmth. Alice was curled up against Henry and Suzy. Kazu and Kenta were snoring side by side. Ai and Mako had nestled together with the smaller Digimon. Jeri was lying in Takato's arms and Guilmon had curled himself up behind him.

Renamon had joined Cyberdramon for the first watch. Only Alex lay alone. She was leaning against Koronamon who had sat down and simply shut his eyes. 

Rika sighed and cuddled closer to Ryo, searching for more warmth in her dazed sleepiness. Her eyes drifted shut and within seconds, she was fast asleep…dead to the worlds, both real and digital.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ryo slipped away from Rika and smiled down at her. She was curled up inside her sleeping bag, another blanket wrapped around her from the inside of her bag, so she had extra warmth. 

She shivered in her sleep and shifted towards the place Ryo had been lying before. 

Ryo couldn't help but chuckle lightly at this. 

She must be really cold… 

He bent over and gently shook her shoulder. A grimace marred her pretty face and she turned away from his hand. But he was persistent. He shook her shoulder again, this time a little more forcibly. Rika mumbled something incoherent in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open. Rolling onto her back, she looked up at Ryo sleepily. 

"Morning, Wildcat," he grinned. "It's our turn to take watch." Rika groaned and sat up. A shiver ran up her spine and she gasped at the cold. 

"It's freezing!" She said fervently, wrapping her arms around herself in a self-hug.

"Yeah, I know. Come, I'll bring the blankets along." He pulled her to her feet and grabbed their blankets. 

Henry and Alice were sitting at the cave mouth, shivering slightly from the wind. They hadn't picked a very good spot to sit in. 

"Okay guys. We'll take over now," Ryo said. They turned to look at Rika and Ryo and Alice sighed with relief. 

"Finally," she muttered sleepily. "It's a little chilly out here." Henry smirked at her.

"She has a gift with understatements," he said to Rika and Ryo. They chuckled and when Henry and Alice had left, they sat down in a spot that was out of the wind but allowed for perfect visibility. 

Rika wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and leaned back against a rock. 

"I can't see how we're going to be able to travel through this," she sighed, steam rising out of her mouth. 

"If we're lucky, the blizzard will be over by tomorrow," Ryo said, looking out into the howling wind that brought more and more snow with it. 

"It's hard to believe this is really happening," Rika mumbled. She was shivering violently and the rock she was leaning into was making her back ache.

"Everything is so different." Ryo looked at her sympathetically. 

"Don't worry, Wildcat. No matter how different it is we'll get through it." She turned to him and smiled appreciatively. 

"Thank you, Ryo," she whispered. It was so soft that Ryo thought he had imagined her saying it. But she repeated it, more loudly this time.

"What for?" Ryo asked. Rika looked away from him, turning her eyes to the outside world. 

"For sticking with me, through all the crap that's going on. It means a lot to me…" Ryo smiled at this.

"Hey," he said gently. "What are friends for?" Rika looked up at him again.

"Yeah," she said, smiling weakly. "Friends…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

When the sun suddenly set again, casting an eerie shadow over the bright snow, Ryo looked towards Rika. She had slipped sideways into him, her head on his shoulder. She was sleeping peacefully.

He grinned down at her and shifted a little closer to make her more comfortable. The blizzard was still raging and the entrance to the cave was almost completely covered with snow. 

They had been sitting there for quite a while now and Ryo was pretty sure that their watch was over. 

But looking down at Rika, he found that he didn't want to wake her. She looked more peaceful than she had in days. Ever since her grandmother's death, she had been a lot more distant.

It was understandable of course. Rika had loved her grandmother a lot. Most of the time, Seiko had been the only person Rika could turn to before she met the Tamers. Even after that, she had really only trusted her and Renamon. 

To lose Seiko must have been killing Rika. 

A noise behind him made Ryo look back. Alex was walking towards them with Koronamon at her side.

"It's our turn to take watch," she said. "You can go get some more sleep if you like."

"Do you mind if we stay for a while?" Ryo asked. Alex just shrugged and sat down. 

"The others are all awake you know," Alex said suddenly. "Have been for hours." She gazed at Rika for a while and Ryo suddenly felt very protective over her. He watched Alex carefully. 

"Is Rika alright?" She asked. Ryo looked down at Rika then back at Alex. She was truly sincere in her concern and Ryo relaxed, feeling that it was okay to trust her. 

"She'll be fine. She's just a little upset I guess. She took Seiko's death pretty hard."

"I tried to help her," Alex said, a hint of sadness barely masked in her voice. "But that Digimon was to strong. Koronamon and I barely made it ourselves." Ryo looked at her for a second and sighed.

"It wasn't your fault. The Devas are getting stronger." A thought crossed his mind and he looked at Alex expectantly. 

"You…did you maybe get its name? The Deva I mean," he asked. Alex looked up, a little startled, but she nodded.

"He called himself the Deva Commander. His name was Zihuralamon. He isn't a Deva, he's a Digimon all his own I suppose. He's stronger than all the Devas put together." 

"So…what, do you think _he's_ the one sending the Devas after us?" Ryo asked. Alex shook her head.

"No. I think the Sovereign created him as well," she said. "You know, to be like a Sergeant or something. And think about it. If he's _that_ powerful, just imagine how strong the Sovereign must be." Ryo sat back to think for a while. 

If Alex was telling him the truth, then they were going to have to think of a new plan. They were having enough trouble with the Devas, let alone their Commander. This…what was his name? Zihuralamon? 

He looked back at Alex, a thought suddenly crossing his mind. 

"How do you know so much about the Devas and the Sovereign?" He asked. 

"I've been here before, Ryo," she said, dropping her gaze. "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I came here two months before you did the first time." Ryo stared at her wide-eyed. 

"That would mean you were here for five months before the D-Reaper issue!" He exclaimed. Alex nodded solemnly. 

"Do you remember when you fought that piece of the D-Reaper that looked like a big worm with teeth and no eyes?" She asked. 

"Yeah, of course. That was the battle when Rika gave me all her power," Ryo explained. 

"I know, but it didn't help did it? You cut it in two, but it didn't die." Ryo stared at her, now thoroughly shocked.

"How did you know that?" He asked. "You weren't there!" Alex shook her head again.

"But I was. I saw it happen from inside the Digital World. You see, I was going to catch a ride with you on that Arc thing, but I was to late. So I fought along side the Digimon here. It was Azulongmon and I that destroyed that piece when we saw you couldn't." She took a deep breath and continued. "I had to travel through another dimension to get back to the real world after you defeated the D-Reaper."

Ryo was gaping at her openly now.

"You…you mean you were helping us all along?!" Alex simply nodded again. She seemed to have lost the will to talk about it anymore. 

It was at that moment that Rika decided to wake up. She sat up and looked around. Her eyes fell on Alex and she they watched each other for a while. Alex's eyes flashed and the brown faded to green. 

"We should go," Ryo said, looking between them. "Come on, Rika." He stood and pulled her to her feet. While Rika walked back into the cave, Ryo lingered behind for a second. 

"Hey Alex?" He said. She turned to look at him.

"Hmm?" 

"Do you mind if I tell the others about this? I think they should know," he said. Alex hesitated for a second, but then she smiled and nodded. 

"I guess they do have a right to know, so sure." Ryo smiled and nodded before he followed Rika back inside.

Alex watched him leave, and then looked back at Koronamon.

"When are you going to tell them the rest?" He asked impatiently.

"Soon," she replied. "She's not ready to hear it yet…none of them are." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N- Hi again. Sorry it was so short and I promise there will be more action in the next chappie. Anywho, thanks for reading! Oh, by the way…I'm not sure about the whole 'Digi-Phirmha' thing, but en I went back to the episode when they first got to the Digital World, that's what Takato called it so…yeah, lets just leave it for now. If you know the _real_ name, then please tell me.  

Now for some more recognition of my *cough, cough* fans:

Violet eyes Rika- Thanks a lot! But what did you mean about the descriptions getting blurred?

Taitaliney-2049- Thank you!!! That was so nice of you! But I really don't think my fic is better than the show. *blushes*

Tk293- thank you. I guess the name might have irked you a little. ;)


	10. Under the Ice

A/N- Helloooo!!!! Hey guess what!!! My sister just said that Mount Olympus grew on her nose…overnight!!! Amazing!!! I've always wanted to meet Zeus…

Ha ha ha. Anywho. Nice to see all of ya again…er…you know what I mean. ;)

Right, so…on wif da show!!!!

Chapter 9 

Under the Ice

The raging blizzard died by the end of the morning of their second day in the Digital World and the Tamers were finally able to leave the cave. 

Rika stepped out into the frozen wonderland and looked around. It wasn't as cold as it had been the day before. Looking back, Rika saw the Tamers stepping tentatively out after her. Ai, Mako and Suzy were huddled together on Kyubimon's back, but each of them looked determined to help out. 

Ryo was talking to Cyberdramon about something and Takato and Jeri were muttering to Kazu and Kenta. They were obviously afraid of what they had been told the night before. Henry walked over to Rika with Alice at his side.

"We should start moving, Rika," Alice said when they reached her.

"If we stay in the same place for to long we'll be easy targets for the Devas," Henry added. Rika turned away from them and looked back at the snow-covered desert. 

She had so much to think about, but no time to do it in. 

The Devas had been enough trouble as it is…but to have to fight another, sixteenth, Digimon that was stronger than all of them combined… She shivered and folded her arms, a classic defensive move. She was starting to regret her decision about letting the kids tag along. What if they got hurt? It would be all her fault.

Shaking her head, Rika turned back to Henry and Alice. They had been watching her with somewhat worried expressions.

"Hey, everything okay over here?" Ryo had stepped up beside Rika now and he was looking between her, Henry and Alice. Rika glanced at Ryo and nodded. 

"Yeah," she said. "Everything's…fine." Then she turned to the others and whistled loudly. 

"Let's go! We can't stand around here all day!" She called. The Tamers moved towards her and the others. 

"You mean we're finally gonna go find some action?" Terriermon said eagerly. He hopped onto Henry's head and pointed ahead of him.

"Lead the way!" The Tamers chuckled and started walking.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Takatomon, what'll happen if the Devas find us?" Guilmon asked. Takato looked down at his friend and smiled reassuringly. 

"We'll fight and win," he said. 

"That's right," Terriermon said. "You're not gonna let some mangy old Deva scare you, are you?" Guilmon shook his head. 

"Nah, I was just thinking about Suzy and the others. I mean they are awfully small," Guilmon said thoughtfully. 

Henry looked back to where Suzy was riding Kyubimon along with Ai and Mako. 

"I don't see why Rika let them come along," he said angrily. "She should have respected my decision and told Suzy to go home!" Jeri put her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Henry," she said kindly. "Rika won't let them get hurt. And besides, do you really think Suzy would have gone home anyway?" Henry groaned and walked on. They were right, but it still didn't make him any less angry. 

A little way away from them, Kazu and Kenta were walking beside Ryo, trying to talk to him over their chattering teeth. 

"S…so do y…you think we'll find the other D…Digimon?" Kazu asked. 

"Yeah. Do y…you think M…MarineAngemon is okay?" Kenta added. Ryo chuckled and shook his head at them.

"I'm sure the other Digimon are fine. They can take care of themselves. You just need to have a little faith in them," he said.

"So…does that m…mean you think we'll find t…them?" Kazu shivered. Ryo nodded and looked ahead again. 

"Don't worry, we'll find them soon." 

Rika was walking in silence, trying to think her problems over. Calumon had huddled himself against her breast inside her jacket. She strongly suspected that he had fallen asleep in there. 

The snow was knee deep and Rika was soaked right down to the bone. But she ignored the shivers that were running up and down her spine and walked on. She had so much under her care. So many lives that she was taking into battle. If any one of them got hurt, she would be held responsible. If not by them then by herself.

If Alex and Koronamon couldn't even scratch this Zihuralamon guy, then how was she supposed to destroy it?

"Got a lot on your mind, huh?" Rika started out of her thoughts and looked to her left. Alex had moved in step with her and she was looking at Rika with general concern. It was odd, but she felt like she should be trusting Alex, like she _could_ trust her. But why? She had never seen this girl before in her life. And oh, that annoying resemblance! She had to ask. The curiosity was driving her nuts!

"You look very familiar," Rika said suddenly, catching Alex off guard. "Have we met before or something?" Alex gazed at her for a second then smiled and shook her head. 

"No, maybe I just look like someone you know," she suggested. 

"Hmm…" Rika held her arms around the bundle that was Calumon and walked on, Alex at her side.

"You know, Rika. It's easier to deal with something if you talk about it." Rika glanced back at Alex and then looked away again, a frown creasing her brow.

"Don't you have to go check on Koronamon or something?" She asked in annoyance. Alex ignored this comment and tried again. 

"I want you to be able to trust me, Rika," she said pleadingly. "I want to be your friend." Rika dropped her gaze and stared at the snow under her feet as she walked. Why did she feel guilty about saying what she had said? It didn't make sense. It wasn't like she had a reason to trust Alex. They didn't even know each other…and yet. Shaking her head slightly, Rika looked back up and sighed.

Ryo had trotted forward and was walking beside her now. 

"Well, you're in a cheery mood. Everything alright, Pumpkin?" He said, grinning cheekily. Rika smirked at him and shook her head. 

"Everything's just…peachy," she said sarcastically. Ryo frowned in mock agitation. 

"Now, now, Rika. You know it isn't nice to lie," he said teasingly. Rika raised an innocent eyebrow at him. 

"How do you know I'm lying?" She asked. Ryo chuckled and grinned at her.

"I know because you would never use the word 'peachy' if you were being serious." Rika smiled and looked up at the sky. 

"You know me to well, Akiyama," she said, closing her eyes leisurely. "Way to well."

They walked on in a pleasurable silence for a while until Rika saw a flash of darkness in front of her eyes. She shut them and stared into that color you see when your eyes are covered. Not so much black, but more a color…waiting to be black. 

But the instant her eyes were shut, Rika saw a surge of colors and pictures. She saw the Digital World, shrouded in freezing snow and razor-sharp, deadly ice. She saw a hole in the ground that lead to a raging river of frigid water. It ran red with what looked horribly like…blood. The images of her friends, her mother, her grandmother…they all flashed before her, to fast for her to grasp the pictures with her mind. Colors and blackness. A swirl of confusion, pain and fear. 

And then, through all the different image and colors, Rika saw one solid form, approaching her with an incredible speed. 

It was an unyielding force of darkness shooting towards her. In a flash of black, it was upon her. A face so horrifying…so perpetually frightening that she screamed in fear. The face of the evil creature opened its mouth wide and flew at her as if to eat her, to suck out her soul…her very existence. The last thing she saw was the long rows of sharp, jagged teeth… 

But just as soon as it had appeared, the face and the images all vanished and Rika's eyes snapped open in shock.

She was lying on her back in the frozen snow, a cold sweat running down her forehead and cheeks. Gasping for breath, Rika felt herself being pushed into a sitting position. The second she was sitting upright, Rika buried her head into her knees and took a few deep breaths to calm her self down. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach.

"Rika…Rika!" She looked up and came face to face with Ryo. He grabbed her cheeks when her head started drooping again and he held her face towards his.

"Rika, what happened? Are you okay?" He gazed at her anxiously, concern etched into every fiber of his being. "Speak to me!" Rika blinked hard to clear her vision and then she looked around her. 

The Tamers were all staring at her in a mixture of shock and confusion. Renamon was trying to get them to back away a little, while Henry told them to "give her some air". 

"Rika," Ryo said, more gently this time. She looked up at him again and took another deep breath. Her lungs seemed to be on strike. They flat out refused to provide her with enough oxygen. 

"W…what happened?" She murmured. 

"You fainted," said Alex's voice. Rika turned her eyes to her for a second and then looked at Ryo again. She had seen an image of his dead body, lying at the bottom of that blood red river…but here he was, holding her in alarm and concern. 

Had her scream been real?

"D…did I…scream?" She asked slowly. Ryo and Alex glanced at each other briefly. 

"Yes," Ryo muttered. "Right before you fainted." Pushing Ryo off her, Rika stumbled to her feet. She was still slightly dizzy, but she wasn't nauseous anymore, so standing wasn't a problem. 

"We have to get away from here," she said quietly. "It's not safe here." 

"It's not safe anywhere in this world, Rika," Renamon said reasonably. Rika shook her head. 

"No, you're wrong. There is one place we can go where no one will find us." 

"Where's that?" Takato asked. 

"Tornado Valley," Rika said matter-of-factly. 

"Tornado Valley?" The Tamers all chorused. 

"Hey, yeah!" Kazu said eagerly. 

"That's were Jijimon and Babamon live!" Kenta grinned. 

"Exactly. We can stay there for a while until we figure out what to do. It's safe there and I know they won't mind us camping out there for a while," Rika explained. 

"Hang on, Rika," Henry said, folding his arms. "What are you talking about? Who are these Jijimon and Babamon people?" Kazu and Kenta grinned at each other.

"They're an old married couple. They're at Mega level and they _love_ to cook!" Kazu said excitedly. 

"Not to mention they have a bath!" Kenta added. Takato and Henry looked at each other skeptically. 

"An old married couple?" Henry asked, quite unconvinced. 

"Yeah," Rika said, shaking off the last of her lightheadedness. "The live in a place called Tornado Valley. The wind blows really strongly over there, so you can't go out much."

"Of course they've solved the problem of indoor boredom," Renamon chuckled. 

"What do you mean?" Jeri asked. 

"They fight with each other for entertainment," Rika explained. "They're strange, but they're a nice pair of Digimon." 

"Well then, it's settled. We're going to Tornado Valley!" Takato said, raising his fist into the air. The Tamers all murmured their own little comments, most of which comprised of, "going insane already," or, "stupid Goggle-head."

The marched away from the dent in the snow Rika had made and moved towards Tornado Valley. They walked on for an uneventful hour before they came to a spot that had slightly different textured snow. Kazu took a tentative step onto it and slipped immediately. Takato tried to grab him but he slipped to, pulling Guilmon down along with him. The three of the skid slowly along the smooth coldness that was an ice covered river. 

Rika's eyes widened and she took a step away from the ice, stepping right back into Ryo. 

"What's the matter, Wildcat?" He asked. 

"We have to go around it," she said quickly. Ryo seemed more than confused at this.

"Around it? But it'll be quicker if we just go across," he said logically. Rika shook her head vigorously.

"No, we have to go around!" She was desperate and the Tamers were all getting confused.

"Please!" She cried urgently.

"Okay, Rika. Calm down. We'll go around if it means that much to you," Henry said, slightly alarmed. 

"You're not going anywhere!" Said an evil voice. The Tamers moved instinctively together. 

"Afraid are you? So pathetically weak, you humans." A massive black Digimon appeared out of the snow, bearing his long rows of jagged teeth at the Tamers. They huddled closer to each other. The Digimon laughed evilly and bore down on them, lashing his whip-like at them. 

Takato lifted his red and gold D-Power and the small screen appeared. 

"Hazeramon," he read. "Mega level. A Virus Beast type Digimon. His attacks are Curse Crusher and Dark Destiny." He looked up at Hazeramon and gulped. 

Hazeramon was at least twelve feet tall and covered in midnight-black, shaggy fur. His eyes, barely visible under his mane of orange hair, were a blinding yellow. His long, bear-like arms and claws had rings of fiery red going down them in spirals. He had four arms each ending in scissor clawed paws. 

A long, dark grey tail, that seemed leathery and furry at the same time, swung menacingly behind him. It was tipped with what looked like three revolving blades that curved into a point. The blades were serrated on both sides and were heavy silver.

His huge burly legs were sprouted with blades and spikes, each sharper and more deadly than the last. He had a row of smaller spikes under each eye and his muzzled mouth was hanging open.

He roared at them, much like a Tyrannosaurus would. 

"You destroyed my brothers and you defied my Master. These are unforgivable crimes. You will all be destroyed!!" He roared again and whipped his tail over his head. The blades started spinning, giving off a super-sonic squeal. The Tamers cried in pain and covered their ears. 

"Renamon!" Rika shouted. "We have to do something!" 

"Right!" Renamon braced herself to Digivolve. Rika looked up at Ryo and Alex who were standing beside her, each holding their D-Powers. Takato, Guilmon, Henry and Terriermon were all at the ready too. They all raised their D-Powers together.

"Bio-merge Activate!" 

A bright light surged around them as five humans and Digimon merged into five different beings. 

Sakuyamon and Justimon landed side by side in front of Hazeramon. Gallantmon landed on Justimon's other side and Megagargomon landed beside him. The fifth figure belonged to that of an Angel. 

Her hair was a deep red and it flowed gently with the wind. She looked very much like a blue and green version of Angewomon, but her helmet completely covered her face and she had golden crossbow in her hand. Kazu and Kenta gazed up at her as she landed on Sakuyamon's right, folding her three pairs of wings at her back. Jeri raised her D-Power in awe.

"SacreAngewomon. Mega level. She's a Divine Vaccine type. Her special attacks are Shaman Crossbow and Sacred Divinity." Jeri looked up at her in barely suppressed awe. 

"That's…incredible," she whispered, as if to speak loudly in the presence of such power was a sin. 

Hazeramon growled angrily and took a step forward, his revolving tail whirring angrily. 

"Let's turn off his little toy, shall we?" Sakuyamon said. 

"It would be my pleasure!" Justimon raised his arm and a long blade of red light grew from it. Gallantmon's arm morphed into a lance and SacreAngewomon shouldered her crossbow. 

"It's been a while since we did this, Koronamon," Alex smiled. "And I must say, I've missed the thrill!" All five Digimon leapt into the air and raised their weapons. 

"Curse Crusher!" Hazeramon slashed his tail through the air and it soared towards Gallantmon. He gasped and braced himself for the hit, but it never came. Megagargomon had grabbed Hazeramon's tail and they were now wrestling with each other, each trying to push the other back. 

"You will all pay for your insubordination!" He shouted and threw Megagargomon into Gallantmon. 

"Why do they always want to do it the hard way?" Rika groaned. 

"Just thick headed I guess," Alex chuckled. The spring on her crossbow pulled itself back and three large arrows formed on it. She took careful aim and in a flash of blue light the arrows were shot forward. 

"Shaman Crossbow!!" SacreAngewomon shouted and the three arrows all became huge dragons made entirely of blue and silver light. They raced through the air and struck Hazeramon in a blazing ball. He yelled and spread his arms in a vicious gesture, throwing off the flames. His tail stopped spinning and the whistling noise stopped. 

"Alright, let's show this over stuffed teddy bear how to really fight!" Justimon and Sakuyamon flew after Megagargomon and Gallantmon. They surrounded him in a wide spread circle. SacreAngewomon filled the last space and all five of them attacked at once.

"Amethyst Wind!" 

"Thunder Clap!" 

"Mega-Barrage!" 

"Lightning Joust!" 

"Shaman Crossbow!" Justimon and Gallantmon's attacks combined into a blazing surge of electricity. It formed a huge ball and shot towards Hazeramon. The raging tornado of Sakuyamon's attack merged with the three roaring dragons and the flames were fanned into a thunderous inferno. 

These two attacks collided with Hazeramon directly in his face and just as the explosion erupted, Megagargomon's missiles burst in the center. There was a loud sonic boom and then everything went quiet as the attacks created a blinding dome of white light that spread across the plain.

The explosion settled and as the light dissipated it revealed Megagargomon shielding the, still human, Tamers from harm. The others were standing in the swirling air and watching the still form of Hazeramon on the ground.

There was a low groan and Hazeramon shifted on the ground. He pushed himself up slightly and coughed.

"Impossible…" he croaked, his once deep voice now almost destroyed. The Tamers moved towards him to deal the finishing blow, but he raised his tail in defiance. The blades started spinning and the deafening whistle broke the eerie silence. 

Rika, Alex and Ryo, who had taken the worst of the explosion, were to weak to hold their mega forms and in a wave of light, they were on the ground, their Digimon partners beside them. 

"You will never defeat me!" Hazeramon shouted, spinning the blades faster and faster, making the whistling grow louder. Rika covered her ears and shut her eyes. The noise was vociferous. She opened her eyes, straining to keep hold of her consciousness. Hazeramon laughed at them and spun his tail even faster. 

"We have to stop him!" Gallantmon yelled, covering his ears.

"Right!" He and Megagargomon stood upright and faced Hazeramon. 

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon shouted.

"Gargo-Missiles!" Megagargomon yelled. The two powerful attacks burst on contact with Hazeramon's furry stomach and he screamed in pain.

The whistling stopped and the Tamers were able to stand again. 

Hazeramon was disintegrating.

"You humans haven't finished with me yet…" He growled softly. "Dark Destiny!" Dark grey clouds covered the sky and there was a crackle of lightning. A long beam of red and black lightning shot from the sky and it hit the ice, sending bits of it flying. Hazeramon disappeared and the sky cleared. Rika stepped up beside Ryo, who was lifting an over excited Monodramon into his arms. 

"Tell me," she said, feeling tired but relieved. "What was the point of that last attack?" Ryo grinned at her, but their smiles faded when they heard a loud crack. The Tamers all turned to the source of the noise.

Hazeramon's attack had split the ice and it was cracking at an alarming rate. The battle had put the Tamers in the very center of the river and the ice was cracking in several directions. 

The image of the bloody river under the ice flashed in front of Rika's eyes and she gasped. 

"Everyone get off the ice!" She shouted. They scrambled for the safety of the snow, slipping and sliding as they went.

"Koronamon!" They all turned. Alex had stopped moving and was standing as still as she could. Her face was etched with fear.

The ice had cracked under her feet and it wasn't stopping. 

"Alex, don't move," Henry said quietly. Koronamon took a tentative step towards her, but the ice cracked even more and he froze. A small trickle of water spread around Alex's feet more seeping from under the ice. There was one last almighty ripping noise and Alex disappeared in the water. 

"Alex!" Koronamon and Rika ran out onto the ice and dove into the water after her.

"Rika wait!" Renamon followed her in, the ice closing rapidly after her.

"That girl is trying to get herself killed," Ryo fumed as he ran to follow them. "I just know it!"  He and Monodramon jumped into the raging river and as they went under, the water froze over, allowing no further passage through.

The remaining Tamers stood in total shock as they stared at the place were six of their friends had disappeared. 

"What do we do know?" Jeri asked urgently. Henry shook his head solemnly. 

"Nothing, there's no way we can get through there. We'll just have to hope that Rika and you remember what Takato and I told you guys about the water."

"What, you mean that if you believe you can breathe the water then you can?" Kazu asked. 

Henry nodded and sighed. 

"Hey," Terriermon said suddenly. The Tamers all turned to him. "They know that we're going to go to Tornado Valley, so maybe we should go wait for them there." The Tamers looked at each other and there was a general murmur of agreement.

"Terriermon's right," Takato said. "They'll be fine and as long as they have Rika, they'll be able to find Tornado Valley." 

"So, then let's go!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika felt a hand close around her wrist and when she looked back, she saw Renamon. Ryo was swimming towards her as fast as he could. The current was to string to swim against, so he was going with it. He was upon them in a mater of seconds and moments after that, the four of them reached Koronamon. He was cradling an injured, but very conscious, Alex in his arms. 

Rika was straining to hold in her breath and she was running out of air. 

_Not yet…_she thought. _It can't happen so soon_!

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N-Helloooo! I guess I can't really call this a cliffy since they're on the exact opposite of a cliff. Or should I say 'in'? Heh heh. Anywho. Send in those reviews!!! 

Thank you to all of you who are reading this! You guys are da best!

By the way…can anybody PLEASE tell me what Tuzeremon's attacks were. I put them down in 'Kira's Chapter' but I deleted that one from my story and now I can't remember his attacks! Please, I need them! Also, if you could send me the names of the Devas you have already seen and any others I might have mentioned. It would be much appreciated. Fanks!!! See ya!!


	11. So close and yet so far apart

A/N- Wow, I really should stop writing that…its so annoying… Anywho, nice to…um…nice to…what was I going to say again? Hmm…I just can't seem to remember. Ha ha ha! I think I've lost another part of my mind! Isn't that great? Yay!!! 

Well, I better start writing before I completely lose my…my…before I completely lose my…uh…oh stuff it!!! Just read the damn story!

PS- It's pronounced: Bew-rah-mon and Mah-sah-hue-mon. Just thought you should know.

PPS- I promise that from now on, all my Digi info will be 100% correct. All the attacks that come from existing Digimon will be right. I looked for them on a Digidex and I have all the ones I need. So…yeah no more complaints over the whole name thing. I have all the Digivolutions and pre-Digivolutions of all the Digimon, including attacks so I can finally get around to what I've been wanting to do!!! Yay!! 

Chapter 10 

So close and yet so far

Rika felt herself slipping backwards off a smooth, wet and very slimy object. Her lower body was totally numb and she couldn't open her eyes. 

_Okay, we're talking total death here_, she thought. No…she just couldn't open her eyes because they were frozen shut.

_Okay, so I'm not dead then…_ She could feel the ice holding her eyelashes together. 

Rubbing them was out of the question, since she was holding onto whatever it was she was lying on with only her arms. So, instead, she tried to use her legs to push herself more totally onto the platform that had her in such a loose grip. 

But this wouldn't work either. Her legs were numb and she couldn't even so much as wiggle her toes anymore. Everything from her waist down felt like it had disappeared and now she had big heavy weights hanging in their place; pulling her down into the freezing wetness she was half submerged in. 

Her breath, the only warm thing left in her, was coming out in a steam that she couldn't see. After a while, she felt this warmness start to loosen the icicles on her eyes and eventually, she managed to open them. 

She immediately regretted it though. Her head was pounding and she was shivering with the intense cold that suddenly overcame her. Slipping further back, Rika realized were she was. Her lower body was hanging in the calmer parts of the river that ha brought her here with the others. 

She didn't have time to wonder where they were though because she felt herself slide deeper into the arctic water. Summoning all her remaining strength, Rika used her arms to haul herself out of the water. Her hands slipped on the wet rock below her, but after groping around for a few seconds, she closed her fingers around a jagged piece of ice standing upright out of the ground.

The sharp sides cut into her hands, but she ignored the pain and pulled harder until she had her knees on the rock. She was home free from here. 

Crawling away from the edge of the rock, Rika collapsed in a heap on the floor, cradling her bleeding hand.  

Everything around her seemed so far away. She could hear the gentle lapping sound the water made when it washed up against the rocks. She could hear the vicious crashing of the river rapids as they rushed down the underground tunnel. 

Yeah, it was obvious she was underground. It was so dark here…like it had never seen the light of day.

_And it probably hasn't_, Rika thought. On top of the darkness, every tiny little sound echoed around her until even her breathing sounded like it was a furious hurricane. Shivering against the cold stone and her drenched clothes and skin, Rika sighed and sat up. She knew about hypothermia. Fall asleep somewhere cold and you might not wake up. 

So sleep was another no, no. Her breath looked like a mini sauna in front of her face, but she ignored it and looked around. It was too dark to see anything so she waited for her eyes to get at least partially adjusted to the bad light. 

_Jeez, hasn't this place heard about electricity_? She thought irritably. Then a thought struck her. 

"My flashlight!" She dug eagerly into her backpack, which was as wet as she was. Pulling out her torch, Rika's face fell. 

"Oh right. I forgot about the water. There's no way this'll work now…even if I am away from the data streams." She flipped the switch out of habits sake and curiosity and to her great surprise and joy it flickered to life. She grinned happily and waved the torch around of her. 

Okay…so she was on a platform in front of a hole that led to a cave. The river ran alone a low, narrow tunnel that was the exact opposite of travel worthy unless you swam.

"And there is _no_ way I'm going back in _there_," Rika said, rubbing her shoulders to keep them warm. She jumped when a cold hand touched her arm. Almost dropping it, Rika turned the torch towards what had touched her.

"Hiya, Rika. Are you finished sleeping now?" 

"Calumon! What're you doing here?" She asked, lifting him into her arms.

"I dunno. I climbed back in your jacket after you fought that mean old bear. And when I woke up, we were here." 

_Typical_, Rika thought with a smirk. _He _sleeps_ through the ride in the raging river_. Turning away from Calumon, she ran the circle of light coming from her flashlight along the floor until it reached a yellow figure.

"Renamon!" She got up and shakily made her way over to her, Calumon at her heels. Renamon shifted on the floor when the light touched her and she opened her eyes. Shielding them from the brightness, she looked up and saw Rika coming towards her. 

"Rika, are you alright?" She asked sitting upright. Rika nodded and knelt down by her partner. 

"Where are the others?" She asked. Renamon looked around and her eyes caught something. 

"Shine that over there," she said, pointing to her left. Rika did as she was told and her torchlight fell upon Ryo, Monodramon and Koronamon. Koronamon was awake along with Monodramon and when he felt the light in his eyes, he turned towards it, readying himself for battle. 

"Oh, it's just you. Alex has gone looking for you," he said as he lifted Ryo and Monodramon off the floor like they were dolls. He carried them over to Rika and placed them gently at her feet. 

"Wake him up," he said to Rika. "Alex is on her way." She watched as Koronamon walked past her into the darkness. 

"Is Ryo napping too? Boy, you must have been having a lot of fun if your all so tired," Calumon said, gliding over onto Ryo's chest. 

Shaking her head at him, Rika sat down beside Ryo and pulled his head into her lap. There was nasty looking cut on it, which was probably why he was still out cold…literally. 

"Renamon, could you dig in my bag and get me my blanket? Oh…and tear a piece of cloth from something" she said. Renamon nodded and got what Rika needed. She wet the piece of cloth in the river, catching on to what Rika wanted it for; she _was_ psychically connected to the girl after all. 

"Here," she said, slipping the blanket over Rika's shoulders first. Rika had already pulled Ryo's blanket from his own bag and had wrapped it around him. She took the wet cloth from Renamon and wrung the water out into her hand. Grinning to herself, she slowly dripped the water into Ryo's ear. After a few drops, Ryo started awake and he tried to sit up, but Rika held him down. She laughed at him and grinned evilly when he looked up at her. 

"Morning sleepy head. Nice afro." She laughed again when Ryo cocked an eyebrow at her and loosened his arms from the blanket to get his hair into a more decent style.

Stylishly messy and spiky…as always. 

"Stay still," Rika said as he sat up, making Calumon fall into his lap. She gently lifted the cloth to his forehead and pressed it to the cut. His reaction was immediate.

"Ow!" He yelped, pulling away from her. She sighed in frustration and put the cloth back against the cut. 

"Stop whining you big baby and sit still!" She made him take the cloth and hold it in place and was about to tell him that he was being stupid when Alex arrived. 

"So, there you are. I've been looking all over for you." Her eyes fell on the flashlight. "Gee, now why didn't I think of that?" She said with a sarcastic grin. She looked fine now…a lot better than she had before anyway. Her wounds had mostly been dirt that the river had washed away. Rika turned away from her and wrung her hair out, pulling it back into a spiky ponytail. Her trademark style. Alex's hair had come loose too and it now hung roughly mid waist. 

Ryo noted, with some curiosity, how she also wrung her hair out by twisting it…just like Rika. Then she tied it up and twisted it again, this time into another messy bun. Pieces of her hair had come loose and were hanging in her face and the strips by her ears seemed to have been purposefully created to hang like Rika's. 

Shaking his head free of these confusing thoughts, Ryo looked around. There was nowhere they could go except into the cave so… He looked up at Rika who was searching in her bag and pulling out everything in it. 

"Rika, what the heck are you doing?" He asked. Alex sat down beside her and watched curiously. 

"Everything's dry!" Rika said, more to herself than to him. "Nothing's broken!" She switched on the Video Data Transporter (VDT) and the screen glowed brightly. It was still perfectly okay, just like everything else. 

"Oh, of course!" She said, slapping her forehead and wincing slightly when she hit the long cut on her hand sharply against her own skin. "It's just like Henry and Goggle-head said!" Alex raised an eyebrow at her. This was something Rika might have done, Ryo thought. 

"Whose Goggle-head?" She asked. Rika scoffed as she tied another piece of cloth over the wound on her hand.

"Isn't it obvious? The idiot wearing the goggles. His name is _Takato_…remember?" Alex frowned slightly. 

"I'm not stupid, Rika. I know what his name is," she fumed. Ryo jumped in to stop them from starting World War 3. Two female redheads were proving to be more than he could, or wanted, to handle.  

"What did they say, Rika?" He asked quickly. She turned to him and dropped the comment she had been about to throw at Alex. 

"They said that in the Digital World, things like this," she waved the VDT at him. "Don't know to think that they should get wet in the water so they don't break. We _thought_ we should get wet, so we did. 

"It works the same way with breathing. If we think we can breath the water, then we can," she explained. Ryo looked down at all the things on the floor. Sure enough, everything was dry, including the blanket he had around his wet shoulders. 

"Oh, I get it," Alex said. "Inanimate things _can't_ think so they wouldn't think to get wet. Pretty clever."

"So, are you telling me we can swim out of here?" Ryo asked. 

"Precisely," Renamon said with a nod. 

"Yeah, but we're not going to swim. In case you haven't noticed, the water is freezing!" Rika said fervently. "Whether we can breathe under the water or not is beside the point. If we swim, not one of us will make it out of there."

"Rika's right," Koronamon said from where he was standing behind Alex. "We must cut through the cave. What do you think Alexander?" He asked. Alex groaned and shook her head. 

"It's the best sounding idea. And for the _last time_, Koronamon, it's Alex!" She grinned up at her partner and he smiled, something neither Rika nor Ryo had seen him do before and probably wouldn't see again. 

"Well," Rika said. "I agree with Dino-boy here. It'll be easier to go through the cave, not to mention warmer." 

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Monodramon said, jumping up and down excitedly. Rika looked at him curiously.

_Weird_, she thought._ He's so tough and quiet when he's Cyberdramon. But at Rookie level he's more like Calumon. Ryo's right…he really is just a puppy on the inside_. She stood up, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders for warmth. Her clothes were still a little damp and they were cold against her skin. Looking over at Alex, Rika noticed that she had actually wrapped two blankets around herself. Rika smirked at this. 

_If you can't take the cold, get out of the freezer_. 

_Come now, Rika_, said Renamon's voice. _You're just as cold as she is. Try and be nice to the girl. She's trying to help us after all. And she _did_ say she wanted to be your friend_. Rika frowned mentally. 

_Quit being my conscience Renamon_! She thought back at her. _The last thing I need right now is to feel guilty about my own thoughts_. Renamon smirked at her and walked on. Rika sighed and shook her head irritably. She looked over at Ryo, who was trying to subdue a very hyperactive Monodramon. 

"Ooooh, what's that over there? Ryo, what's that thingy? Hey! Can I go play with that sparkly thing?" Ryo groaned as Monodramon struggled against his hold, wriggling and kicking his feet playfully. Laughing quietly to herself, Rika walked to them and tapped Monodramon on the head. 

"Hey," she said, still grinning. "Calm down, you're giving poor old Ryo here a hard time…wait a minute." She put her finger to her chin in mock thought, tapping it lightly. "On second thought, that's not a bad thing after all, is it?" She laughed at Ryo playfully. "What's the matter big-shot? Can't even handle a tiny Rookie?" Ryo frowned with the effort of keeping Monodramon still. The fins on his shoulders were brushing against his face and his tail was tickling his nose.  

"I'd like…to see…you…do better," he said, straining to keep his arms from coming out of their sockets from all the pulling.

"Maybe I _would_ do better," she smirked. "If I had such an over excited Digimon to handle. Renamon is cool, calm and collected." She folded her arms triumphantly and smiled. Ryo just grinned at her menacingly and before she could stop him, Ryo had tossed Monodramon at her. She caught him out of instinct, but regretted the motion. He wriggled against her with incredible strength for a Rookie.

"Can I play too?" Calumon asked, hopping onto Rika's head.

"Throw me again! Throw me again!!" Monodramon cried happily. Rika grinned. 

"No problem." She threw him back at Ryo, who, like Rika, caught him immediately. Then she ran ahead so that there little game of 'Catch Monodramon' couldn't continue. 

She laughed as she caught up with Alex, who turned her eyes on Rika, unsmiling. 

"So," she said, as if she wanted to strike up a conversation, but couldn't think of anything to say. 

"So," Rika repeated, with much the same tone. They walked on in a sudden and very uncomfortable silence. Rika watched her torch light sway lightly as she walked, her hand moving with the rhythm of her body. Renamon's words rang in her head. She was right. Rika really didn't have any reason to be so horrible to the girl. She hadn't done anything to her and Rika had long since dethroned her position of the Ice Queen. On the contrary, this girl had tried to save Seiko and now she wanted to help the Tamers. Heck, she had even helped Rika and Ryo in the battle with the D-Reaper. If it hadn't been for Alex, both of them would have been destroyed in their de-digivolved state. 

_Okay, okay. So she deserves at least a _little_ trust. Rub it in why don't you_, she thought irritably. Clearing her throat, Rika glanced at Alex before looking ahead again. 

"How did you meet Koronamon?" She asked, being unable to think of anything else to stay. Alex sighed and looked back at him for a second.

"I'm not really all tha4 sure about it," she said. "My dad is always out and it can get pret4y lonely. I wan4ed a friend and he was just…there one day. It's kind of weird actually. I saw these three big windows and all these Digimon were in them. And when I looked down at my Digimon cards, there was a Blue Card in the pile…so I swiped it and he appeared." Rika listened in confused amazement. It was her experience with Renamon all over again. The only difference was that the Digimon in the three windows that _she_ had seen had all been begging her to train them. She had yelled that she only wanted one strong Digimon to tame and Renamon had walked out of the light. Rika smiled at the memory and told Alex about it. 

After a while of silence, Rika spoke again.

"If your dad is never at home, why don't you just spend time with your mom?" She asked. Alex shrugged lightly. 

"My parents got divorced when I was seven so I don't really remember my mom to much. My dad told me she died a few years ago, but last month I found out he had been lying about it." Rika looked at her oddly. So, they had more in common than she had thought. And damn, what kind of monster was this girl living with? 

"Hey, I know how you feel," she said as she walked. "My parents got divorced when I was little too. Of course my mother never told me my father was dead. I just never wanted anything to do with the bastard." Alex smirked ironically.

"I never wanted anything to do with him either," she said. Rika stared at her curiously. 

"With who? My father?" She asked. Alex laughed at this.

"No, mine. He's a total idiot and a self-centered ass to boot. I hate him." 

"Why don't you just move out?" Rika asked. Alex sighed again.

"I wish I could, but I'm only seventeen. I can't buy a flat or a house on my name and I know my father won't put one on his name for me. I'm stuck there until I can find somewhere else to stay." 

"Bummer," Rika muttered. Talk about a hard life! 

A loud beeping tossed Rika out of her quiet thoughts and she stopped walking. 

"Where's that coming from?" She asked, looking around. 

"I dunno. I…oh wait. It's coming from your backpack!" Alex said pointing to a spot on Rika's bag that was glowing brightly. 

"It's the videophone," Rika said, pulling it out. It had turned itself on and there was a small display box on it. It read: _incoming message_. 

The tamers looked at each other for a second before Rika pressed the 'ok' button on the screen. It flashed and there was suddenly a face staring up at them.  

"Yamachi!" 

"Hello, I see you're all alright. Did you make it through okay?" He asked. 

"Yeah, we're all fine." Rika raised the VDT so that they were looking at him on a level field.  

"That's good. But where are the rest of the kids?" Rika glanced at Ryo, who shrugged. What were they supposed to tell him? That they had been separated after an intense battle and had been dropped into a raging river of icy water? 

"Uh…we got…a little sidetracked. You see, we aren't exactly…sure where they are right now," Rika said tentatively. Yamachi eyed her wearily.

"You mean you're lost," he said. 

"Well, we're not exactly lost. We're just…taking a different route. We know where they're going, so we'll meet up with them there," Ryo grinned, his hand searching the back of his head. 

"I see… Well, have you had any contact with your parents?" Yamachi asked. 

"None." 

"Well, you should get a hold of them. I'm sure they'll want to know your okay and it will mean a lot more coming from you," he said seriously. Rika felt a twinge of guilt in her chest. Her mother was probably worried sick. After all, she hadn't said goodbye and it had only been three days after Seiko's death when Rika had left.

"How do we contact them?" She asked. 

"Like I told you before. Each of your parents has one of these. I put their numbers on yours and yours on theirs. You'll be able to contact them when ever you want to, and vise versa."

 "Okay, thanks Yamachi," Ryo said. They said goodbye and shut the connection. 

"Well, at least we know this thing works," Alex smirked. She wasn't planning on taking up Yamachi's advic% any time soon. If her dad wanted to know where she was, then he would just have to find out for himself. 

"I'll calmly mother later. I don't really think I could handle her crying right now." Rika closed the VDT and put it back in her backpack. They walked on through the cave and as they traveled further, it became darker; until they needed the combined efforts of three torches to see where they were going.

Renamon shivered intensely and her fur stood on end.

"What is it, Renamon?" Rika asked. 

"There is something here…something of great power," she whispered. Rika looked around her, squinting in the darkness. 

"Monodramon…I think you should Digivolve," Ryo said quietly. "Do you think you're up to it buddy?" 

"I'm always ready to battle!" He said excitedly. Ryo nodded and pulled out his D-power. He reached into his cardholder and pulled out his Digivolution card. It turned blue when he held it in front of him.  

"Alright. Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" 

"Monodramon, Matrix Digivolve to…" There was a bright flash that temporarily lit up the cave around them.

"…Cyberdramon!" He growled viciously and flexed his arms in the air. His red wings folded themselves on his back and he whipped his tail. He was ready for action. Alex looked up at Koronamon. 

"I think Ryo has the right idea there. You ready?" She asked, holding up her cards. He nodded calmly. Alex pulled out another Blue Card.

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" She pulled her card through her silvery blue D-Power and Koronamon started glowing brightly. 

"Koronamon Digivolve to…" He started growing larger in size and huge, angelic wings sprouted from his back. His body remained pure white, his neck gracefully long and his chest became a paler yellow. The mark under his eye retracted slightly and then grew out into a delicate, mask-like, blue visor over his eye. 

"…Bueramon! Bueramon Matrix Digivolve to…" The wings on his back shrank back into nothing and he fell forward onto all fours. The once majestic body became similar to that of a dragon's and rigid blue markings traced themselves onto his elongated neck and hind legs. His gentle face was covered in a mask similar to Cyberdramon's, but it didn't reveal his jaws. Big bony horns sprouted from his front legs, high on the knee and his feet grew larger and more dog like. His hind feet hand only to toes while his front ones had three; long, black talons tipped each of them. A fin fanned itself out of his neck: thin yellow spikes, connected by an almost transparent, green film of skin. 

He roared and reared himself, swinging his neck into the air.

"…Masahumon!" Rika and Ryo gazed up at him wonderingly. He was bigger than two horses combined. When Alex stood beside him, the top of her head only just reached his shoulder. His head, which was raised on his long neck, almost touched the roof of the cave. Ryo lifted his D-Power.

"Masahumon," he read. "A beast Data type Digimon. His special attacks are Ancient Quarry, Tempest Destiny and Orion's Zenith." Ryo looked up at him again. "His power readings are almost off the charts…" Alex smiled proudly. 

"Rika, whatever it is…it's coming towards us," Renamon said, standing at the ready. The three Tamers looked to where Renamon was facing. Cyberdramon was growling angrily and Masahumon's entire body was rigid with concentration. 

They watched quietly, the air thick with tension. Something black was coming towards them from out of the darkness. Rika squinted her eyes to see what it was and she frowned in confusion. 

_But that…that's impossible_! She thought, her eyes wide. The figure was smaller than Masahumon was, but if one of the Tamers should have stood beside it, they would have been just as tall as it was. Its head might be a little higher than theirs though. 

Renamon relaxed slightly when she realized who it was and her demeanor became very similar to Rika's. Shock and confusion. 

The figure was limping on very other step and its head was hung slightly. 

"We have to help him!" Rika said in alarm, hurrying forward. Renamon ran after her, but the others stayed behind.    

"Is she insane?" Alex exclaimed. 

"Always has been. Rika, wait!" He called after her. Rika ignored him and ran faster towards the huge, black Doberman that had collapsed to the floor.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Argh! I can't take this anymore! This is the third time in a row that I've walked into my own footsteps!!" Alice said angrily. The Tamers had been walking for hours now and they hadn't made much progress. Kazu and Kenta had been leading them in circles ever since Rika, Ryo and Alex had been swept away by the river. 

The wind was howling again and snow had started to fall. If they didn't find a place to stay soon, they were all going to be knee deep in trouble. Heck, the snow was already almost there! 

"Are you sure you guys know where you're going?" Takato yelled over the noise of the storm.

"You look pretty lost to me," Terriermon shouted. They had taken temporary shelter behind a large rock formation that they had circled twice already. 

"Well, uh…not exactly. It's hard to tell really," Kenta said sheepishly. 

"Yeah dude. We found the place by accident you know. A Data Stream took us there," Kazu explained. Alice was shaking with fury and cold. 

"Are you two insane!!!?" She screamed, her voice making the wind sound like a gentle breeze. "You've been leading us around here all this time and you don't even know where we're going!! God! I should have gone with Rika and the others!" Henry put a pacifying hand on her shoulder and she quieted down, her chest heaving with her deep, angry breaths.

"Takatomon," Guilmon called. "These rocks look familiar!" Takato looked up and his eyes widened. They were standing behind the three rock formations that they had first seen when they had come to the Digital World the first time. Takato had planted their flag here and they had regrouped here after getting separated. He looked back at his friends, whom were all fighting now. 

"Guys!" He shouted. "Relax! I know where we are!" The Tamers stopped arguing and looked at him. 

"Remember these rocks? We put our flag here, remember?" Henry, Kazu and Kenta all looked up. Takato was right. 

"Hey, chumley! You're right!" Kazu said eagerly. 

"Yeah, and we know they way from here!" Kenta smiled, clapping his hands together. 

"Oh yeah? So then how do we get to Tornado Valley from here, Einstein?" Alice retorted. 

"We climb over those mountains!" Kazu called, pointing up to a huge mountain range. The Tamers gaped at them in shock. 

"Are you kidding me?!" Alice screamed. "How in the Hell are we supposed to get up there?" 

"Well, we got over by making a kite the last time…" Kenta suggested. 

"Don't be ridiculous. How are we going to build a kite?" Henry said reasonably. No one had time to answer him because Guilmon suddenly started growling angrily. 

"Takato, something's coming," he snarled. 

"Henry…" Terriermon jumped down beside Guilmon. They were both looking out into the snow. The Tamers followed their gazes and Jeri screamed; her voice muffled in the wind. 

A huge, square, grey mass was flying towards them with incredible speed considering it was going against the wind. 

"What is it?" Jeri cried. 

"Hey…" Henry said, squinting slightly. "Isn't that…"  

"Guardromon!" Kazu said excitedly. The huge, square, android Digimon landed with a heavy thud in the snow before them. Kazu dove at him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh Guardromon! I've missed you buddy!" He said, crying happily. Guardromon's hand searched the back of his head embarrassedly. 

"Hello, Kazu. I've missed you too," he said.

"How did you find us?" Henry asked incredulously. 

"We've been following your tracks for a day now. We thought we'd never find you when this storm came…but, here we are," Guardromon smiled. Kenta cocked his head in confusion. 

"We?"   

"Look!" Said Suzy happily. "It's Lopmon!" The small brown and pink rabbit hopped off Guardromon's head and flew into Suzy's arms. 

"Lopmon, you're back! I was so worried about you!" Suzy said, hugging her tightly to her chest. Lopmon choked into her Tamers hold, her face reddening all the way to her three small horns. 

"Yes," she whimpered. "But you don't have to choke me to prove it!" She coughed and rubbed her neck when Suzy sheepishly let her go. 

"Sorry," she giggled. Terriermon hopped off Henry's head and grinned.

"Well, if it isn't my chocolate flavored clone. How ya doin?" He asked. Lopmon just smiled and shook his ear with her own. Guardromon looked around curiously. 

"Where are the rest of your friends?" He asked. 

"We were separated," Takato said over the wind. "We're going to Tornado Valley so we can meet up with them." 

"Tornado Valley? But that's just over these hills," Lopmon said. 

"Yeah," Alice said, scowling at Kazu and Kenta. "We know." 

"You'll get there faster if we fly over," Guardromon suggested. "I could take you." The Tamers looked at each other and grinned. 

"Okay!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Dobermon!" Rika fell to her knees beside the huge black dog and gently touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Dobermon turned his big red eyes to her. 

"What happened to you my friend?" Renamon asked. He growled painfully and coughed.

"Alice…" he whispered before his eyes floated shut and he fainted. A blinding white glow engulfed his body and he started becoming smaller. 

"He's De-Digivolving!" Rika gasped. The glow lit up the cave completely until Dobermon stopped shrinking and the light faded. Lying in his place was a small orange-beige dog. It had a curly pink tail that was a light crimson color. An almost rosy red. There was a tuft of fur on his head that looked like a fringe and his long ears were the same shade of his tail. He had two small markings under his reddish eyes that were also that color. His chest was white and the small claws on his hands and feet were mustard yellow. His head looked almost like the mask of a dog costume; he had fur growing out on it at jagged, zigzagging angles. 

Rika gazed down at him curiously as he shivered in a heap on the floor. She raised her D-Power and the screen appeared. 

"He turned into Labramon. A vaccine animal type Digimon. Special attacks: Retrieving and Cure Liquor." Renamon leaned over and lifted Labramon off the floor. 

"Rest old friend," she said softly, bowing her head respectfully. Ryo and Alex came up behind Rika and looked at Labramon curiously. 

"Rika, do you know this Digimon?" Ryo asked. 

"Yeah," she said, getting to her feet. "He sacrificed himself so that we could Bio-merge in the real world." She dusted herself off and looked down at the small dog in Renamon's arms. "At least, we _thought_ he did. I can't believe he's still alive!"

"What do you think happened to him?" Alex asked curiously. 

"I dunno…he was probably attacked by something," Ryo said. He looked up at Cyberdramon and grinned. "I guess we overreacted huh?" Rika looked around and realized that Ryo was right. They had been so ready for Dobermon to be a Deva that they had made their Digimon Digivolve for nothing.

"Come on," Rika said after a while of silence. "We should keep moving." 

"Rika's right. Labramon wasn't a Deva, but there might still be one down here." Alex climbed onto Masahumon's back when he lowered himself down for her. Renamon gently handed Labramon to Rika and they both nodded. Rika set Labramon down and held out her D-Power. 

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution activate!" 

"Renamon digivolve to…" She swiped her hands through the air, leaving shining marks behind her. The skin and fur on her body was ripped off as a digivolution egg enclosed her form. New skin formed itself on her body as she doubled over onto all fours. 

"…Kyubimon!" She stood at the ready until Rika mounted her back.

"Okay, let's get going," Rika said, holding Labramon in her lap. At her words they took off through he cave again, leaving behind a shadowy figure that had been following them silently ever since they had woken up.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Well, what did ya think? I know that there wasn't any action…again. But the chapter was getting too long. The Tamers will regroup in the next chappy…or not. Whatever I decide ;). Anywho, the fight will be early in the next chapter and there might even be two battles. You'll just have to wait and see…so later!!


	12. Dark Confusion

Hi (Dolphin! LOL)! So, how are you guys doin? Good I hope. If you're wondering about the Dolphin thing, don't worry; it's an Afrikaans joke. In Afrikaans, a haai is a shark (pronounced like 'hi'). I said haai, so someone else says dolphin as a sarcastic joke. See? Oh, by the way. To Tk293. Yes, I am very serious about the whole breathing under water thing. Maybe you missed that episode, but Takato, Henry and Terriermon were trapped in an underground cave and they swam out by breathing under water. I like to keep my stories to the show's facts so that I'm being 100% accurate. Now…on with the show!!!

To Amethyst Blizzard: Anywho is my word!!! Stop stealing it! ;) 

Chapter 11 

Dark Confusion

Takato clung tightly to Guardromon's head. He yelled in fear and shut his eyes when he saw how high they were. A soft giggling made him look up and to his surprise, Jeri and Guilmon were laughing at him. 

"What's the matter, Takato?" Jeri laughed. "Afraid of a little height?" Takato's hand searched the back of his head and he blushed. 

"Well, yeah. A little…" he admitted. Guilmon smiled at him and held onto his arm. 

"Don't worry, Takato," he said sweetly. "If you fall, I'll catch you." 

"Uh…thanks, Guilmon." The three of them were sitting on Guardromon's shoulders while he held Henry and Terriermon in his arms. They were the last of the Tamers that still needed to be taken over the mountains. 

"Hey, Guardromon!" Henry called over the wind that was stinging his cheek. 

"Yes, Henry?" He asked. 

"How far are we from Tornado Valley?" 

"Not far now. I dropped the others off somewhere out of the wind. It's blowing pretty hard right now." Henry looked down at the valley below him. He could see the vicious storm tearing across the area, but beyond that, he was blind.

Sighing softly, he shook his head. 

"I hope Rika and the others are safer than we are…" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika hugged Labramon close to her chest as he slept peacefully. She was getting tired and they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the exit. 

Yawning softly, she looked around. Alex was holding onto the fin on Masahumon's back, looking just as tired as Rika felt.

The deeper they got, the colder it seemed to become. Rika was pretty sure that this was the reason she was so tired. 

Hypothermia. The dreaded 'H' word… 

Smiling lightly at this, she shivered and looked at Ryo. He was leaning into Cyberdramon's shoulder, his head propped up on his palm. He seemed to be battling to keep his eyes open. 

"Rika…" The voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked down at Kyubimon. She was sitting high up on her shoulders, right against the mass of fur she had around her neck. It was keeping Rika warm and was probably another reason she was so sleepy. 

 "Yes, Kyubimon?" She said resignedly.

"I think I can see a light coming from up ahead." Rika perked up at this and apparently, so did Ryo. He sat up and looked ahead of them.

"Where?" He asked eagerly. Rika grinned to herself and followed his gaze. 

"I don't see anything," she said, squinting in the dark.

"My eyes are better than yours are. It is very far away," Kyubimon explained. 

"I see it too," Cyberdramon growled. 

"Hmm…" Masahumon agreed with a slow nod. Alex stretched her back and arms and sighed in relief. 

"Well, it may be too far for us to see, but at least now we know there's a way out of here," she said, stifling the urge to yawn by biting her lip. 

"Mm-hmm." Rika nodded and leaned into the long, curving, red and white horns that were wrapped around Kyubimon's shoulders and neck. The small diamonds hanging from the gold globes on the tips were jingling softly in the quietness.

They walked on for another half hour before they could finally see the way out. It was a huge, circular hole in the roof of the cave that had been completely covered by a thin sheet of ice. It looked almost like a mon-made (^_^) window. Rika hopped off Kyubimon's back and she De-Digivolved into Renamon. The long walk had really taken its toll on all of them.

Calumon popped his head out of Rika's jacket and looked up at the window. 

"Oooh, look at how pretty the snow is!" He said sweetly. Rika had to admit, the squirt was right. The snowstorm had ended and it was coming down in a gentle drift now. The edges of the window were built up with snow and it looked almost like a corner toy store at Christmas time. 

"Well," she said after a while of silence. "However pretty it is, that window is our only way out of here, which means…" 

"…We're breaking through it," Ryo finished for her. 

"Right then, Masahumon." Alex climbed off his back and patted his shoulder. 

"Renamon." Rika looked at her partner who nodded.

"Get to it buddy," Ryo added, walking over to Rika. The Digimon all readied themselves and attacked at once.

"Diamond Storm!" A flurry of diamond shards flew at the window when Renamon opened her arms with a slashing movement. 

"Orion's Zenith!"  A black hole was ripped open in the cave, revealing the limitless vastness of space. The stars spun around until the Orion constellation was in the very center. Thin lines drew themselves in between the stars, drawing out the form of a man. He stood up and gathered a handful of stars from around him and, in a flurry of swishes, he flung them at the hole. 

"Cyber Nail!" Cyberdramon held up his arms and the blades on his shoulders glowed bright white. He hurled his arms downwards and blade like beams of light flew with the other attacks. All three attacks hit the window and they exploded. 

Rika turned her eyes away from the light and when the dust cleared, she looked up again. Cold, gentle snow was drifting down onto her face, getting caught in her hair and on her eyelashes. Ryo looked over at her and his stomach leapt into his throat. 

_Calm down, Ryo_, he thought, taking a steadying breath. _She's your best friend…and she just happens to be incredibly beautiful_! He gazed at her wonderingly for a second; her beauty was ethereal. Realizing what he was doing however he looked away again. It would have been awfully embarrassing if she had seen him staring. Alex, however, wasn't blind to the fact that Ryo liked Rika. It was so obvious. 

Of course, he didn't fawn over her like some pathetic loser. He admired her and he respected her. 

_Not to mention he's totally in love with her_, Alex thought, grinning inwardly. She looked at Rika and smiled. 

_She's grown up hasn't she, Koronamon_, she thought, looking at her (now De-Digivolved) partner. 

_Yes_, he replied thoughtfully. _Very much so. She has become a very beautiful young woman_. Alex nodded her agreement and walked over to her partner. It was amazing how people changed over the years. Especially when you hadn't seen the person for so long…

"Rika, its time to go," Renamon said, holding her arms out to her. Rika nodded and allowed Renamon to lift her up. Ryo climbed back onto Cyberdramon's shoulders, patting him appreciatively. Alex looked up at the window for a second before she let Koronamon take her. 

In one motion, all three Digimon leapt into the air and soared through the hole they had made. Renamon landed first, followed shortly by Cyberdramon and Koronamon. The Tamer slipped off their shoulders and hopped to the floor. 

It was cold out here, but nowhere near as cold as it had been in the cave. Rika sighed with relief and put her torch away.

"Finally!" She said, breathing in deeply. The cold air stung her nose a little, but the freshness felt good in her lungs. 

"So, anyone got any idea where we are?" Ryo asked, looking around. 

"I believe we are back on Digi-Phirmha," Renamon said thoughtfully. 

"Yes, the river didn't run very deep. We only went one level down," Cyberdramon agreed. Rika smiled and looked around herself. She didn't recognize anything…

_No, wait! Those three rock formations_! She thought eagerly. _They're right by the mountain range that block's off Tornado Valley! We made it! _She looked up at Ryo and grinned.

"_I_ know were we are! We're right on the other side of Tornado Valley," she said. Pointing up at the rocks, she explained. 

"You see those rocks over there? Well, when the Dufus Brothers and I flew over the mountains, we landed right by them. 

"I remember because that's exactly where Takato planted his goofy flag." She looked at them triumphantly.

"We're, as they say, 'just a hop skip and a _flight_' away from Tornado Valley."  Ryo laughed and patted her shoulder.

"What would we do without you, Rika," he grinned. Calumon's head popped out of her jacket again. 

"Why? Is Rika going somewhere?" He asked curiously. The Tamers laughed at him and Rika and Alex shook their heads. 

_Weird_, Ryo thought, as he watched them curiously. _Honestly, if Rika were older and Alex was as gorgeous as Rika is, they could be twins_! His eyes widened as a realization hit him. Then he grinned and shook his head. 

_Nah, that's impossible. There's now way _that _could ever be true_. 

Rika Matrix Digivolved Renamon to Taomon and Alex made Koronamon Digivolve to Bueramon. Then they each mounted their Digimon- Rika being held in Taomon's arms- and took off. 

Rika scanned the area below them until she saw the mountains pass underneath her and felt the wind pick up considerably. 

"We're here! Taomon lets go down!" She called. Taomon nodded and started her decent, followed shortly by Cyberdramon and Bueramon. They landed difficulty since the wind was already nearing its peak. 

"Which house belongs to Jijimon and Babamon?!" Ryo shouted. Rika looked around, squinting her eyes to see. Her eyes fell on the only mushroom-like house that didn't have a giant cloth on top and she smiled. 

"That one!" She shouted. Ryo followed her finger and looked at the house curiously. It looked like a petrified garden. The tree branches were all pointing in one direction, giving them the eerie look that they were pointing at something. But, of course, it was only because the wind was so strong here. 

"Ryo! Look out!" Cyberdramon grabbed him and pulled him away just in time to miss a flying piano. It crashed to the floor with a deafening bang.

"Come on!" Rika yelled. "Let's get inside!" They ran towards the house and when they reached the round door, they pushed through it. 

Rika landed heavily on the floor, with several people on her back. The wind had knocked them all through when they had opened the door and now, all three Tamers and Digimon were lying sprawled on the floor.

"Ow…" Rika muttered. She got up, pushing Ryo off her and rubbed her neck. 

"Nice of you guys to join us." Rika smiled and brushed herself off. 

"I thought it might be nice if we took the scenic route," she said simply, grinning at Henry.

"In other words, you took the hard way, like when we were in the park," he said walking over to them. Ryo got up and pulled Rika to her feet. 

"Hey, I prefer calling it…'the interesting and very different' route," he grinned. The Tamers laughed and this attracted the attention of the others.

"What's so funny up here…oh! Rika, Ryo, you made it." Takato ran over to them with Jeri and Guilmon at his heels. 

Jeri ran right up to Rika and hugged her tightly.

"We were all so worried about you," she cried. Rika held herself stiff before looking at Ryo and Takato for help. All they could do was shrug?! How typical. Just when you actually needed a guy's help, he was useless! Sighing, she tentatively hugged Jeri back until she finally let go. 

"There really wasn't any reason to worry, Jeri," she said, smiling at her reassuringly. Jeri then noticed Labramon, who was lying in Taomon's arms. 

"Who's that?" She asked. Rika looked back and she gasped. 

"Oh, I almost forgot!" She looked around the room curiously. "Where's Alice?" 

"Someone calling me?" Alice asked as she walked up the steps. Rika turned to Taomon and took Labramon from her. She walked over to Alice who was staring at the puppy with wide eyes. 

"Here," Rika said quietly, carefully handing Labramon to Alice. "We found him in a cave underground. He was beaten pretty badly." Alice cradled Labramon in her arms and hugged him tightly. A single tear ran down her cheek, but she ignored it and kissed the top of Labramon's head. 

"Thank you so much, guys," she said happily. Takato was looking at this so confusedly that he actually looked pale. He leaned in towards Ryo.

"Hey, who's the puppy?" He asked. Ryo raised an eyebrow at him and grinned. 

"You know, Takato. For a fearless leader, you sure don't know much about the different stages of a Dobermon's Digivolution." Takato's eyes widened. 

"That's Dobermon?! But he died!" Henry shook his head.

"Obviously not. Apparently, he simply used his real world body to give us the power to Bio-merge. He must have come back here afterwards," he explained. Takato nodded in understanding. So, that was what had happened. Well, at least now Alice had Dobermon…uh, Labramon, back. Hey, maybe Leomon would come back too…

_Fat chance_, Takato thought bitterly. _Leomon died here, we all saw it. And there isn't any Tree of Beginnings or Primary Village here_. He gazed at Jeri sadly and held her in his arms when he saw her tears. She missed Leomon and she needed comfort. That was all there was to know. 

"Hey, Goggle-head. Where are all the others?" Rika asked, looking around.

"They're in the kitchen," Henry said, seeing that Takato was busy. 

"Typical. Well, what about Jijimon and Babamon?" She asked. Henry and Takato glanced at each other and then looked down. 

"There was no one here when we arrived," Henry explained. 

"They must not have made it through the battle with the D-Reaper," Takato added, hugging Jeri tighter when she let out a small sob. Rika's face fell and she dropped her gaze. They had been her friends…they couldn't be gone. There was suddenly a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled appreciatively at Ryo. 

"I'm sorry," he said gently. She shrugged and looked up again. 

"They…they were old," she said quietly. Henry looked between his friends. The atmosphere was so cold and lonely. He sighed and smiled bravely. 

"Come on. I think Kazu and Kenta are going to make us something to eat," he said. Alex looked up curiously. 

"But you don't need to eat in the Digital World," she said. 

"Yeah, but even when they don't need to eat, you can't keep Kazu and Kenta away from their food," Rika said, a small smile lighting up her face. 

"Hey! We heard that!" A voice called. "Just for that, you guys aren't going to get anything! We'll eat it ourselves!" Kazu yelled.

"Yeah!" Kenta agreed, like he always did. Rika laughed along with the Tamers.

"So, did you guys find any of your Digimon?" Alex asked. Alice looked up from where she was sitting on the sofa, gently stroking Labramon. 

"Yeah, Guardromon and Lopmon found us yesterday and when we got here…" she paused when a tiny pink Digimon with wings popped up beside her. He had big blue eyes and a golden ring around his neck. He looked like an odd, flying seal. 

"…we found MarineAngemon." She smiled when the little Digimon floated onto her shoulder and looked down at Labramon.  

"He sick?" He asked in his whispery voice. Alice nodded and MarineAngemon floated down onto her lap. 

"I fix!" He said happily. "Kahuna Waves!" He spat out dozens of little blue hearts that gently popped on Labramon's fur; he was being healed. When the last heart had popped, Labramon stirred in his sleep. His tiny red eyes opened and he looked up. 

"Mmm…Alice?" He whispered hoarsely. She smiled down at him gently. 

"Shush, rest Labramon. You'll be okay." She looked up at MarineAngemon. "Thank you." 

"It okay. I help friends. Be happy!" He giggled and floated away. Rika still marveled at the way he spoke. It was so sweet, so…babyish. It sounded almost like he was a foreigner only just learning to speak English. 

"Hey, guys! We were only kidding about the food! Get down here before it gets cold!" Rika rolled her eyes and the Tamers all laughed. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika rolled over on her bed and groaned. Why couldn't she sleep? She was exhausted as Hell and it was late! 

Of course, deep down, she knew why she was so restless. She hadn't had any contact with her mother yet and she was a little worried. She sat up and looked around. The room was deathly quiet and pitch black. The only reason she could see was because her eyes had become accustomed to the dark a long time ago. 

Sighing to herself, Rika got out of her warm bed and walked over to her backpack. Zipping it open, she pulled out the VDT and switched it on. There weren't any Data Streams here, so she shouldn't have any problems turning this thing on…right? She opened the machine and switched it on. Yes! It worked!

_Right, now to find mom's number…_ She scrolled down the menu until she found the address book. Sure enough, Rumiko's name was written second on the list, right under Ryo's dad: Ronin. Taking a deep breath, Rika touched her mother's name and the screen was filled with a bar that said _dialing_. Rika almost dropped the VDT when there was a knock on the door. She glanced down at the VDT and then at the door. 

"Come in!" She called softly. The door swung open and Ryo stepped in. 

"Hey, Wildcat," he said gently. "Couldn't sleep either?" She sighed and shook her head.

"Not a wink." Ryo walked over to her and sat down on her bed. 

"What're you doing?" He asked, looking down at the VDT. 

"Calling my mom," she explained. "I figured that that was why I couldn't sleep." Ryo looked at her thoughtfully. 

"You're worried about her…" Rika nodded and gazed back at the screen. A window had opened and the bar now read _connected_. A second later, there was a soft beep and Rumiko's face appeared on the monitor. 

"Hello? Rika?" She asked desperately.

"Do you want me to leave?" Ryo whispered. Rika shook her head no and Ryo moved closer so he could see. 

"Hi mom, it's me," Rika said timidly. Rumiko looked up at her daughter and gasped. 

"Rika! Sweetheart where are you?! I've been so _worried_!" She cried, but her voice suddenly became harsh. "How dare you leave without telling me first! Have you any idea how I felt when I read that note! Oh, you are in so much trouble when you get home!" Rika smiled at Ryo ironically and he grinned.

"Wipe that smirk off your face young lady. I'm serious!" 

"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you wouldn't let me go if I did," she explained. "And I didn't have a chance to contact you before this." Rumiko eyed her suspiciously, but then sighed.

"I know sweetheart. I'm sorry I yelled. I'm just so worried about you," she cried, tears running down her face. "I don't want to lose you too, Rika!" She burst into tears and sobbed into her hands. Rika winced and glanced up at Ryo. He gave her an encouraging smile and she nodded. 

"It's okay mom," she said. "I'll be fine. Look, Ryo's here with me, and so are all the others. We have all our Digimon with us too. I'll be fine, I promise." Rumiko looked up at Rika and Ryo and she smiled weakly.     

"I know you will be. You make me so proud, Rika…angry, but very proud. I've never told you that have I?" Rika smiled at her mother. It was weird to hear her say it, even though she had known it before. 

"Please be careful, Sweetheart. And Ryo, you take care of my baby, okay?" She looked up at him meaningfully and he smiled.

"I will Mrs. Nonaka. I promise." Rumiko scoffed at him.

"Please, Ryo. Call me Rumiko. Mrs. Nonaka makes me feel so old! Not to mention I was thinking of taking up my maiden name again, Makino." She smiled at them thoughtfully. 

"We have to go now, mom. Take care," Rika said. 

"Goodbye, baby. Be careful!" She said. Rika nodded and cut the connection. Sighing heavily, she flopped back onto her pillows and shut her eyes. Ryo took the VDT from her and placed it on the table. Looking down at her, he noticed the frown on her face. 

"What's wrong?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing. It's just…I know I'm doing the right thing, but it feels wrong," she whispered. "I feel like I never should have left her there on her own." Ryo lay down on his side and propped his head up on his palm. 

"You did the right thing, Rika. If we had stayed in the Real World, more innocent people would have gotten hurt." 

"Yeah, because of me…" she said. Ryo shook his head at her.

"No, Rika; that's not what I meant. This isn't your fault and you know it. Seiko didn't die because of you. She died because Zihuralamon killed her. 

"If it had been you that had shot or stabbed her, then it would have been your fault. But you never touched her." He looked down at her seriously and she smiled at him. 

"Thanks…I think." He grinned in the dark when she shut her eyes again. She was tired and he could see it quite clearly. He yawned and groaned, sitting up to leave. The walk back to his room meant that he had to go back upstairs and he wasn't looking forward to that. Those stairs went on for a _long_ way. He sighed and made a move to get off the bed, but Rika touched his arm and he looked back. 

"You can stay if you like. It doesn't bother me," she whispered tiredly. Ryo grinned and lay down on the bed again.

"Thanks, Wildcat. To tell you the truth, I wasn't looking forward to the walk." Rika laughed quietly, her eyes shut gently. 

"Yeah…I know." She shifted over to the other side of the bed and rolled onto her side. Now that she had gotten her mother off her chest, she could sleep peacefully. Sighing softly, she fell asleep almost instantly, not even staying awake long enough to feel Ryo cover her with the blanket and lightly kiss her cheek. Had she been _awake_ when she had felt it, she probably wouldn't have been smiling right now. 

Ryo gazed down at her for a second before lying down again.

"Goodnight…Wildcat." 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 Rika yawned sleepily as she woke up. Why did she feel so restricted? Her arms were pinned against something and she couldn't move. Looking up, Rika noticed (with confused _delight_? How odd) that she and Ryo were cuddled close together. They were lying facing each other, chest to chest, and Rika had her head tucked under Ryo's chin. 

_Weird_, she thought curiously. _How did I end up here_? She could remember saying he could stay if he wanted too, but last she recalled, she had been lying on the other side of the bed… The strangest thing about her situation was that she wasn't angry with him. And this was due to several reasons. 

One: she was actually quite comfortable (surprisingly enough). Two: there was no way to tell whether or not it had been her who had cuddled up to him or not and if that was the case, she didn't want to make an issue out of it. And finally, three: she wasn't exactly sure why, but she wanted to be here. 

_This is getting weirder the more I think about it. I should be pounding him into Hell and below by now_! She shook her head and tried to pull away, but his arms were wrapped too tightly around her. 

_Why aren't I fighting this_?  She thought angrily. She hated not knowing how she felt or why she felt that way. Being confused when it came to things like this irritated her to no end! Of course, she'd never been with a guy before, much less slept with one. Ryo shifted in his sleep and pulled her closer, as if she were a soft, warm and cuddly teddy bear that was there to comfort him. Looking up at him, Rika smiled despite herself. His hair was sticking up in odd directions, but this just made it look more 'stylishly messy'. Not to mention the fact that he looked as content as the cat that got the cream. He looked _annoyingly_ adorable when he was sleeping… 

A sudden feeling of dread swept over her and she was brought rudely out of her thoughts. She could sense a Digimon nearby…and it was strong. Thanks too her connections with Renamon, Rika felt what she did. Her pain, her thoughts…everything. The other Tamers could merely feel their partner's pain, but with Rika and Renamon, it was different.

She looked up at Ryo urgently and tried to free herself from his arms, but he groaned and tightened his hold.

"Come on you stupid idiot… Wake up!!" She shouted. Ryo started and his eyes snapped open. 

"Huh? What…?" He looked down at Rika and his eyes widened. "Rika!" His first impulse was to smile, and smile he did. But then he realized what he was doing and he flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was…" Rika sighed in frustration.

"Forget about it. Right now we have bigger problems!" She said, sitting up when he let go of her. She sprang out of bed and hurled herself to the door. Turning back, she looked at him meaningfully. 

"Come on, there's a Digimon coming here and it's stronger than any of the others we've battled so far!" She turned and ran out of the room at top speed. Ryo stared at the place she had been standing a few seconds before and wondered fleetingly if she was angry with him.

"God! You are such an _idiot_, Ryo!" He said angrily to himself. Shaking his head, he ran out after Rika. When he got to the top of the stairs, Ryo found most of the Tamers congregating in front of the fireplace.

Rika was discussing something quietly with Takato and Henry and they all seemed rather tense and uneasy. Ryo walked over to them and they stopped talking. Rika looked up at him solemnly. 

"It's just like I said before. Renamon and Cyberdramon sensed the Digimon too," she said. 

"Well, what is it?" Ryo asked. Rika sighed and looked him dead in the eye. 

"It's a Deva." Ryo sighed as well and looked at the fire. He had known it would be. What else would it be? What else _could_ it be? He looked up at them and grinned bravely, masking his anxiety- like he always did- with arrogant courage. 

"Well? What are we waiting for?" He asked. Rika smiled and nodded. 

"Yeah, let's go," she agreed. Renamon appeared beside her and Cyberdramon walked up to Ryo. 

"We're ready when you are, Rika," Renamon said. Guilmon and Terriermon ran up to Henry and Takato.

"You weren't thinking about leaving without us, were you?" Terriermon scoffed, leaping onto Henry's head. 

"We wouldn't dare," Henry replied. There was a noise behind them, and they all turned. 

"I'm coming too." It was Alex. She and Koronamon were standing at the head of the stairs, watching the Tamers determinately.

"Alright then. Let's move out!" Takato said, punching his fist into the air. The Tamers walked past him, grumbling as they did. 

"Stupid Goggle-head," Rika muttered. Takato blushed and followed them, his hand searching the back of his head. 

Ryo opened the door and the Tamers all walked out. The wind had stopped blowing now and the snow was laying roughly knee deep. Rika trudged out after Ryo, the rest of the Tamers following shortly afterwards. 

"So, were is it?" Alex asked, looking around. Rika held up her D-Power and the compass appeared. 

"According to my D-Power, it should be pretty close by now…in fact, it's almost right on top of us!" They all looked around nervously, but there was no sign of a hundred foot tall monster anywhere. 

"Looking for me?" The Tamers all started and turned towards the squeaky and sinister voice that had spoken. 

"I don't get it," Rika said, looking in every direction her neck would allow. 

"There's nothing there!" Takato sighed. 

"Maybe it's a chameleon," Henry suggested. 

"How do you mean?" Ryo asked.

"I mean, maybe it can blend in with its surroundings." 

"No, no, no, you are quite wrong. Now quiet human and hear my song!" Said the voice in a singsong kind of poetic rhythm. Rika groaned at this.

"Perfect, we have a poet for an opponent!" 

"Be still you wench, I hear your thoughts. You act quite brave, but your courage is naught! You fear the deaths that you will trigger, you fear me _most_ so forgive my snigger. The loneliness you fear and hate, is what will send you too Hell's gate!" Rika was shivering with anger now. 

"Where are you, you coward? Show yourself!" She yelled. 

"Oh my, my, you seem quite fumed, perhaps my appearance will change your tune… I am Jarimon, master of art. Prepare yourself human, for now you all…shall part!!!" There was a blinding flash and a tiny Digimon appeared from out of nowhere. He was roughly the size of a soccer ball with crimson, dragon like wings and a long tail. His fur-covered body was a dark, grey-purple and he had to devil horns on his head. His huge green eyes took up most of his body, which seemed to be made of nothing but a head and a tail. There were two yellow arks under each of his eyes and he had sinister smirk on his face. He had two elongated fangs poking out of his mouth, making him look somewhat bat like. At the tip of his tail, was a small golden ball that had tiny wings and a Halloween Pumpkin face.    

The Digimon smirked at them and disappeared before he reappeared a second later high in the air.

"This is bad…" Rika said. "He may be small, but he's powerful, I can feel it." 

"We better make our Digimon Digivolve then," Takato said, holding out his D-Power. Rika and Henry did the same. They each pulled out a digivolution card and stood at the ready.

"Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!" They each pulled their cards through their D-Powers at once.

"Renamon Digivolve to…"

"Terriermon Digivolve to…"

"Guilmon Digivolve to…" 

"…Kyubimon!"

"…Gargomon!"

"…Growlmon!" The three Digimon landed beside their partners and growled. Jarimon laughed gleefully. 

"You all Digivolved, oh what a sight! To bad it won't help you in this next fight!" He danced around in the air, laughing manically at them. He stopped dancing and swung himself viciously so that he was facing in their direction. His tail whipped up in front of him and the ball started glowing. It closed its mouth and then it opened it again, it spat out six long, pale violet ropes made completely out of light. 

The ropes lassoed themselves around Rika, Kyubimon, Takato, Growlmon, Henry and Gargomon. Rika struggled to free her arms from the ropes, but they pulled tighter and she gasped in shock and pain. Jarimon laughed as the ball on his tail started glowing more brightly. 

"Rika, no!" Ryo dove at her but, just as he reached her, she suddenly vanished. He fell right through her as she disappeared, falling face forward and landing in the snow where she had been standing. Looking up, he saw that they had all disappeared, Jarimon included.

"Now what?" Alex said, walking over and feeling around in the air for them. Ryo growled angrily and slammed his fist into the snow.

"Dammit!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika groaned and opened her eyes. A wave of intense heat swept over her as she became more and more conscious of where she was. Her hair, which had come lose in her fall, was sticking to the back of her neck from the sweating. 

"Where am I?" She muttered. She sat up and rubbed her neck painfully. It was so hot in here you could practically see the heat rising from the floor in waves. 

"God! It's like an oven in here…" She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and pulled off her black jacket. She got to her feet, swaying slightly out of dizziness. The heat was unbearable and she felt slightly sick and lightheaded. The transition from freezing to scorching had been to fast for her body to handle.  

She looked around the cave she was in and her eyes fell on Henry, who was trying to wake Takato up a little way away. Rika stumbled over to him and fell to her knees beside him. She was getting used to the heat now, but she was still a little dizzy.

"I can't get him to wake up," Henry said, shaking Takato's shoulder roughly. His hair, which was ordinarily spiky, was sticking flat to his head. Rika rolled her eyes and pushed Henry aside.

"This is how you wake someone up," she said. She pulled back her hand and slapped Takato with all the strength she could muster. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. Looking up at them, he frowned and rubbed his cheek. 

"Ow, that hurt, Rika." She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"How did you know that it wasn't Henry who slapped you?" She asked. Takato grinned lightly.

"Because only you could possibly slap me _that_ hard." Rika rolled her eyes at him again and got to her feet.

"Right, now that Goggle-heads nap is over, can we look for the Digimon?" She asked irritably. Henry got to his feet as well and he looked around too. The entire area looked like a furnace. The walls off the cave were lined with fire and there were pools and rivers of what looked like molten lava all over the place. Everything was red and black.

"Well, this certainly is a change," Henry said, peeling off his own jacket. 

"Yeah, no kidding," Takato agreed. He wrapped his jacket around his waist and fanned his face with his hand.

"Takato!" They all looked to the left to see Growlmon, Gargomon and Kyubimon walking quickly towards them. 

"Rika, are you all right?" Kyubimon asked urgently. Rika nodded and put her hand on Kyubimon's shoulder. 

"Yeah, I okay. How about you?" She asked. 

"We're all fine," she said, indicating towards the other Digimon. Takato and Henry had walked over to there partners too and they all seemed equally confused. 

"Were are we, Kyubimon?" Rika asked. Kyubimon shook her head slowly.

"I'm not sure. This place is different to anywhere I've ever been in the Digital World," she muttered. 

"I welcome you, my frightened foe, to a place of fire and slate. I told you once, it's what you fear, that brought you to Hell's Gate! Burn and scream, a constant thing, in the place you'll soon call home. To escape my world, you'll have to win; in a battle against your clone!" Jarimon suddenly appeared in front of them and the Tamers stood at the ready. 

"Where are we?" Rika said angrily. "Where have you taken us?" Jarimon grinned maliciously. 

"Weren't you listening? I told you now twice. At Hell's Gate you stand, the message now told thrice!" Henry folded his arms confusedly. 

"What do you mean Hell's Gate?" He asked. Jarimon giggled and floated higher. 

"Fire, fire, burning black, a darkness that's all evil. Hell's Gate, yes! That's where you stand! A passage to the Devil!" He danced around as he sang menacingly. "You're here and there all at once. You never left your friends. Down you went and down you'll stay until your sins, you mend." 

"Wow, Miss Hisaghi would love him in her English class…" Takato said. Rika raised an elegant eyebrow at him in disgust and rolled her eyes. 

"Enough of this chatter, it's time for some fun. The time of your final judgment had finally come! Dark wave!" He brought his tail out in front of him and the eyes on the ball started glowing bright black. Two black beams of light burst from them and traveled across the floor, heading straight at the Digimon. They all; tensed as the light passed over them, but nothing happened. 

"What?" Kyubimon said curiously, opening her eyes. "Nothing happened!" Jarimon laughed at them as the Digimon looked up at him. 

"Foolish pets, you could all have been so fine. Your Data I read and now it is mine." Rika frowned angrily. 

"What do you mean you read their Data?" She snapped. 

"Their Data is scanned and now it is double. You better watch out because you're about to face some trouble! Hell's Twin!" The ball on Jarimon's started glowing more darkly until it was completely black. The light burst out of it and three bolts of black electricity hit the ground. The earth cracked and split, sending bits of gravel into the air. Red ripples were creasing the floor, pulsing outwards from the places where the lightning had hit it.

The last of the light seeped into the ground and everything went quiet. The Tamers and their Digimon stared at the ground anxiously. A sudden rumbling echoed throughout the cave and the earth shook violently. Rika stumbled and grabbed onto Kyubimon's horns for support. Henry gasped in shock. 

"Look!" He was pointing down at the ground to where three figures were rising from the soil. Rika's eyes widened as she stared at the black fox that now stood in front of her and Kyubimon. 

"Whoa…" Takato whispered. A huge grey-black dragon was bearing down on him and Growlmon. 

"I'll say," Henry said, gazing wonderingly at the big rabbit before him and Gargomon. Rika frowned and held out her D-Power. The display appeared and the Fox's picture formed on the screen. 

"BlackKyubimon. A Virus Beast type Digimon. Her attacks are Demon Fireball and Fox Flame Dragon…" BlackKyubimon looked identical to Kyubimon, but her entire body was black instead of yellow. The fire on her feet and at the tips of her tails was red instead of black and the yin and yan signs, along with the marks under her eyes, were maroon. The fur around her neck was grey and her belly was white. She growled angrily and reared herself into the air. Kyubimon growled back. 

Takato raised his own D-Power and a picture formed on his own screen. 

"BlackGrowlmon. He's a Virus Dark Dragon Digimon. Attacks: Exhaust Flame and Plasma Blade." This Dragon was yet another precise replica with a new color scheme.  

His boy, where it should have been red, was a dark black-grey color and where he should have been black (the marks on his arms and body) he was red instead. His claws, chest and hair were a faint grey color and the tips of his talons were a darker grey. The strangest thing about him was the fact that the paw marks on his palms were bright pink. 

Henry was the last to lift his D-Power.

"BlackGargomon. A Virus Animal Digimon. His special attacks are Animal Uppercut, Gargo Pellets and Bunny Pummel." BlackGargomon's body was darker beige than Gargomon's and his pants were made of black leather. The mask over his head was black-grey instead of green and so was the bullet belt that he had slung across his shoulder and around his waist. The guns on his arms were silver instead of clack and his eyes were a deep, almost black, red. 

The three dark clones growled angrily at their counterparts and the originals reciprocated. 

"Come my pets, obey my command. Bring the girl on my masters demand!" Jarimon yelled. Takato and Henry moved in front of Rika, but she scowled at them and pushed past them. 

"I don't need you to protect me!" She snapped. She looked back at Kyubimon who was having a face off with her dark clone. 

"Kyubimon, are you ready?" She called. 

"Let's show my look alike what a _real_ Digimon can do!" She growled. In a burst of speed, Kyubimon hurled herself at BlackKyubimon, who jumped at her as well. The passed each other in mid air and Kyubimon whipped her tails against BlackKyubimon's face. She landed and spun around, growling at Kyubimon; there was a long red mark across her cheek. The two Digimon snarled at each other maliciously. 

"I think Rika could use our help. Growlmon!" 

"Okey-dokey, Takato!" He stepped towards BlackGrowlmon and pulled back his head. 

"Pyro Blaster!" He roared and threw back his head as a huge fireball flew from his mouth. BlackGrowlmon smirked evilly. 

"Exhaust flame!" A ball of black fire and smoke hurled from his mouth and collided with Growlmon's attack. They exploded between the two Digimon and extinguished. 

"Gargomon, its time we helped out too," Henry said. 

"Alright! Come on, Henry! Let's have some fun with my dark twin!" He raised his guns and started shooting. BlackGargomon did the same and both of them took the other's attacks. 

Rika and Kyubimon were still battling BlackKyubimon and the Digimon were evenly matched. 

"Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon burst into blue flames and leapt into the air. She spun around until the fire formed itself into a dragon and flew at BlackKyubimon. 

"Demon Fireball!" BlackKyubimon flicked her tails apart and the flames and the tips exploded into black flames. Each flame had a small crimson face on it. The flames few off her tails and crashed into Kyubimon. Both attacks were halted. 

"This isn't working!" Rika said in frustration. She pulled out a card and readied her D-Power. 

"Digi-modify! Power Activate!" Rika slashed her card through her D-Power and Kyubimon glowed brightly for a second. 

"Now that's more like it!" She called. But to Rika's dismay, BlackKyubimon started glowing too. 

"Thanks for the boost, human!" The two foxes went at each other again, both equally powered up. 

"Foolish girl, don't you see? What you do to your friend, you do to your enemy! Their Data is the same; they're both attached. Upgrade one and they're still evenly matched!" Rika sighed in frustration and looked at Kyubimon. She had her jaw locked with BlackKyubimon and the sparks were flying. 

"Come on Growlmon! Knock him out!" Takato pulled out his D-Power, not having heard Jarimon. 

"Digi-modify! MetalGreymon's Metal Blaster activate!" Both Growlmon and BlackGrowlmon roared and lunged at each other.

"Metal Blaster!" They both yelled. The attacks broke into a colossal explosion and the Digimon were thrown apart. 

"Takato! Didn't you hear what Jarimon said?" Henry yelled. "Whatever you do to upgrade Growlmon, will happen to BlackGrowlmon too! Their Data is identical so our D-Powers respond to both of them!" 

"Well, I know one thing that we can do that they can't!" Rika said. She held out her D-Power and pulled out a Blue Card. 

"Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" She screamed. Her D-Power glowed red and the screen went fuzzy. Kyubimon jumped out of the way of an attack, showing no signs of Digivolution. 

"What the…" Rika looked down at her D-Arc and raised it again.

"Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" Yet again, nothing happened. Jarimon laughed at her gleefully and flew higher. 

"He's blocking the Digivolution some how," Rika snarled, shaking with fury. 

"This is never going to work, our Digimon are never going to be able to beat themselves!" Henry said, watching as Gargomon and BlackGargomon tried to Bunny Pummel each other. Takato thought for a second, before he snapped his fingers. 

"Hey! I know! Instead of aimlessly fighting our counterparts, why don't we fight each other?" He suggested. Rika and Henry looked at each other and then at him.

"That's brilliant, Takato!" Henry said, nodding his agreement. 

"Right, I'll take Dino-boys clone, since Kyubimon is a lot stronger than him," Rika said, folding her arms. Takato huffed, but Henry silenced him.

"Okay. Takato, you fight BlackGargomon and I'll battled BlackKyubimon. Agreed?" Henry asked. They all nodded and took their places. 

"Change of plans, Kyubimon!" Rika called. Kyubimon looked over and dodged an attack before running over to Rika and BlackGrowlmon. The other Digimon took their opponents too and the battle continued. 

"Okay Kyubimon! We can take this guy no problem!"

"Right! Fox Tail Inferno!" The blue flames soared towards BlackGrowlmon and they hit him in the chest. He roared in protest and raised his arms. 

"Plasma Blade!" The blades on his arms opened and he slashed his arms through the air. Two dark purple blades spun at Kyubimon, but she jumped out of the way. Kyubimon jumped at him and bit into his neck. 

BlackGrowlmon screeched in pain and threw her off him. She skid across the floor, but pulled out unharmed. Growling, she leapt into the air and spun around. 

"Dragon Wheel!" The blue dragon hurtled at BlackGrowlmon and passed right through him, splitting onto either side of him as it hit. He howled in agony and fell to his knees. But suddenly, his eyes started glowing and he got back to his feet.

"What's going on?" Rika demanded. BlackGrowlmon laughed and his arms morphed into huge, green scythes.

"Twin Sickles!"  He shouted and he flashed his scythes at them. Blades erupted from them and both hit Kyubimon full force.  

"No! Kyubimon!" Rika cried. The dust around her settled and Kyubimon stood erect.

"I'm okay, Rika," she said reassuringly. Jarimon was floating above her and Rika, watching the battle with interest. 

Rika looked around and noticed Growlmon had the same scythes that BlackGrowlmon had. She frowned angrily. 

"Takato! Wait until I've beaten BlackGrowlmon you idiot!" She screamed. Takato flinched and grinned, blushing slightly.

"Uh…sorry, Rika," he said awkwardly. She rolled her eyes at him and frowned. 

"Kyubimon! Be careful, he has a stronger attack now!" Rika called to her Digimon.

"Right!" Kyubimon jumped out of the way of the attack BlackGrowlmon had sent at her and sent her own Fox Tail Inferno at him. When the flames disappeared, BlackGrowlmon's Data was starting to fuzz a little. He groaned and feel forward. 

"Yes!" Rika cried triumphantly. Kyubimon readied herself and jumped up. 

"Dragon Wheel!" He final attack hit BlackGrowlmon full force and his Data burst. 

"Absorb it, Kyubimon!" Rika called. Kyubimon hesitated, but did as Rika told her. Once the last of the Data had been drawn into her body, Kyubimon walked over to Rika. 

"Come on. I think Takato could use our help," Rika said. Kyubimon nodded and they hurried over to him. 

"Okay, Takato. Do what you need to," Rika said as she and Kyubimon reached him. Takato grinned and pulled out his D-Ark. 

"Digi-modify! Power activate!" Growlmon roared and his body was engulfed in red fire. Kyubimon stepped up beside him and both attacked BlackGargomon at once. 

"Dragon Slash!"

"Fox Tail Inferno!" The attacks hit him and he screamed in pain, his Data dissolving as he fired his guns frantically.

"Do you mind?" Rika asked, stepping forward. 

"Um…no, go ahead," Takato said cautiously. Rika nodded at Kyubimon who absorbed BlackGargomon's Data.

"I'll explain later," she muttered to Takato. He just stared at her curiously. 

"Uh…guys! A little help over here please!" Henry yelled. Gargomon had been knocked to the floor and BlackKyubimon was advancing on Henry. She had been powered up by the Data too and was now twice as strong. 

"Henry! Recharge Gargomon's energy!" Takato yelled. Henry nodded and slashed his card.

"Digi-modify! Energy Activate!" Gargomon glowed white and he stood up.

"Yeah! Now we're cooking! Gargo Pellets!" He fired round after round at BlackKyubimon, but she just kept coming.

"Everyone attack together!" Rika said. Jarimon's face contorted with anxiety.

"No! You will not harm my pets!" He flew down in front of BlackKyubimon, trying to cover her from harm.  

"Right! Gargo Pellets!"

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

"Pyro Blaster!" The attacks hit both Jarimon and BlackKyubimon and they burst into millions of Data pieces. Kyubimon, understanding Rika's desire, absorbed the Data without so much as a second thought. A bright light formed around her and soaked into her skin. She had reached another level of strength. 

Rika sighed and nodded at Kyubimon as she walked back to her. 

"Rika…why did you tell her to absorb their Data?" Henry asked. 

"Because the Devas are getting stronger. Our power isn't anywhere near enough at the moment." She looked back at them. "If I don't make Kyubimon start absorbing Data again. We won't stand a chance." Henry and Takato both nodded. They understood. Rika was right about it too. They weren't strong enough yet. 

A sudden chill ran down Takato's back and he pulled his jacket back on.

"Uh…guys. Is I just me or are we moving?" He asked. 

"No," Henry exclaimed. "The cave is!" And sure enough, the cave had started moving downwards, leaving them suspended in mid air. 

"What's happening?" Rika said urgently. The roof of the cave passed right through them like it was a mirage. Within seconds, the three Tamers and their Digimon were standing in the snow, exactly where they had been before. 

"Rika!" Ryo ran up to her and the others. "Are you guys okay?" He asked. Takato looked around while Rika pushed Ryo off her so she could put her jacket on. 

"You're kidding!" He said incredulously. "We were here the whole time!?" 

"Looks like it," Henry grinned. 

"What happened in there?" Alex asked. Rika let Takato explain while she tried to convince Ryo she was okay. Honestly, you would think the guy thoughts she was a child that couldn't take care of herself. 

"And that's pretty much what happened," Takato finished as they stepped into the house. Growlmon tried to get through the door, but ended up getting stuck in the small hole.  

"Takatomon! Help me!" He cried. Takato looked up at him helplessly.

"Here," Rika said, handing him her Downgrade card. "Use this on him." Takato took the card and thanked her before making Growlmon De-Digivolve. Rika yawned while the boys shut the door and locked it. Her head ached and she wanted to sit down so she walked into the living room and plopped down into a sofa in front of the fire. Ryo sat down beside her and leaned back. 

"Are you sure you're okay, Wildcat?" He asked, looking at her as she shut her eyes.

"I'm _fine_, Ryo," she said in frustration. "I just have a headache!" Ryo smiled at her and slipped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. Rika looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow at him. 

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?" She asked. He just smiled at her and shook his head.

"Get some sleep. It'll make you feel better." She raised her eyebrow further and Ryo laughed. 

"What? Can't I be a good friend? I'm just trying to make you comfortable." Rika grinned at this. 

"Oh really. Is that so?" She asked sarcastically. Ryo nodded and pulled her closer. She sighed and yawned again. There was no denying it. The battle had worn her out, not to mention the quick changes in temperature had left her feeling a little dizzy and uneasy. A little nap would do her good. 

She let her eyes drift shut and her head fell onto Ryo's shoulder when she fell asleep. 

Ryo looked down at her and sighed, smiling weakly. 

It was going to be a long battle.

*~*~*~*~*~*

WOW!! That was one HELL of a long chapter! 17 pages! Holy hell! I hope you people are satisfied! This must have been worth the wait! It was so long!!!!

Anywho, to RyukiTJHA ()- Thanks, but…you know how weird it is to find out I have my own Disciple? It's totally FREAKY!!!!! 

So…uh yeah. Anywho must go. I'll right more soon. Toodles. 

Oh…PS- to those of you who like X-Men the Movie and like a good Bobby/Rogue story, look out for Untouchable. I read it and it's really good! 

TOODLES!!!!!


	13. Battle of the Elemens part 1

Hi all! I know the last chappy was really long…I believe it was something like 17 pages on your computers…wow…uh, yeah. Anywho, hope you enjoy this one too. Fanks for the reviews! And on wif de show!

P.S- It's pronounced: When-tuh-mon; Thor-hu-mon; In-fer-nuh-mon. 

P.P.S- I know its probably rather inconvenient, but I'm changing Alexander's name to Alexis. Her nickname will still be Alex though. So it shouldn't be too much of a biggie. ;)

Chapter 12 

Battle of the Elements

Rika woke up later that morning feeling rather stiff and hurt. Her back was aching a little and her neck felt like someone had twisted it 360 degrees. She sat up…or at least, tried to. She was being held down, yet again, by Ryo's arms. This should probably have explained the reason she was so uncomfortable, but Ryo's shoulder made a nice enough pillow. 

So why in Heaven's name was she so sore! A loud snore made her jump and she looked around.  So…_that_ was the reason more her discomfort was it? Rika frowned and pulled Monodramon out from where he was wedged in between her back and the sofa.

The fins on his arms had been poking her in the spine and his feet had been pressing against her neck, putting her in a very awkward position. 

Tossing the Digimon onto the couch beside her, Rika settled back against Ryo, not having the will or the strength to fight him. It was still daylight outside, but the wind had picked up during her late morning nap.

The rest of the Tamers were sitting in the living room in front of the fire, discussing their next moves. Rika watched them as they talked quietly together. Suzy, who was sitting at Rika's feet, said something about the Devas and Rika instantly felt more awake.

"But if they're after Rika, then we have no choice but to destroy them," Ryo said, in reply to her question. 

_He's awake_? Rika thought incredulously. Hadn't he felt her trying to sit up? Maybe he had thought that she had still been sleeping… She decided not to let them know of her awakening so that she could listen.

"There has to be a simpler, less violent way," Henry said. 

"Like what? Oh, of course. I'm _sure_ they'll stop attacking us if we ask them nicely," Alex said scathingly. Rika smirked. A girl after her own heart.

"Alex is right," Takato said from where he was sitting on a one-seater sofa with Jeri. "We can't just ignore them and hope they go away. We have to do something."

"Yeah, but if we're gonna keep fighting them, then we're going to have to come up with a new plan," Ryo exclaimed. "I don't exactly agree with Rika's idea to start loading data again, but if it's the only plan we've got, I'm going to stick to it."  Rika felt a twinge of penitence in her chest. Sure, she wasn't too happy about loading data again either, but what else was she supposed to do? The Devas were getting stronger and they needed all the strength they could get. She pushed her thoughts aside so that she could listen again.

"The Devas are stronger than even the D-Reaper was. We are going to have to find a new way of Digivolving or we won't be able to beat them, let alone the sovereign," said a voice Rika didn't recognize. It was gruff, but sweet at the same time, sort of like a puppies bark. 

_It must be Labramon_, Rika thought.

"A new way of Digivolving?" Jeri asked curiously. "But what other way could there be?" They all looked at Calumon and his eyes widened. 

"Well, don't look at me! I don't know how to make you stronger…" He looked down at his feet and sighed. "I'm sorry, I wish I could help you more…"

"But you do help us." The Tamers all jumped and looked at Rika. She had sat up and was rubbing her neck painfully. Smiling down at Calumon, she continued. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to Digivolve at all. You help us all the time." Calumon smiled happily. 

"Do you really mean it?" He asked excitedly. The Tamers all nodded at him and he jumped up joyfully. "Thanks Rika-Rika!" 

"No problem, Calumon," she said, stretching her back a little. "Hey, Ryo. Did you know that Monodramon snores?" Ryo laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, it's getting him to stop that's the trick. He also has a tendency to crawl into the smallest space he can when he wants to sleep." Rika massaged her neck and grinned.

"I'd noticed…" The Tamers all laughed and for a moment, the Devas and loading Data was cast from their minds. 

Henry was the only one to stay silent. He was watching Rika with an almost angry look in his eyes. Ryo stopped laughing in time to see this and he sat silently, watching Henry cautiously. What was Henry up to?

He continued to watch Rika for a while before he finally decided to speak. 

"I think Suzy should go home." His voice was loud, clear and deadly calm. He had made it sound like he was talking to everyone, but his eyes never left Rika. "She should never have come in the first place." Rika returned his angry gaze without so much as a bat of the eye. He didn't intimidate her one bit, black belt or no. 

"And how exactly do you want me to do that? I don't have magical powers that let me open portals to different worlds whenever I please you know." They glared at each other angrily.

"I don't care _how_ you do it, Nonaka. You were the one that said she could come, even after I explicitly said she couldn't." The Tamers all fell quiet. Henry had _never_ called Rika by her last name before…

"Look, _Wong_. I'm not going to send Suzy home. If she wants to stay, I'm not going to stop her. She's not four anymore," Rika snapped.

"I don't care how old she is! She's my sister and I think she never should have come in the first place! She's to young for things like this!" Rika shot out of her chair and glared down at Henry. 

"You are the most pathetic, most selfish person I've ever met! Is Suzy the only person you care about? Or have you forgotten that there are two other kids here that are her age. _None_ of us should be here, Wong!

"I _asked_ you to come; you never had to do it! I don't know why I'm the one they're after, but I do know that that's what's really bothering you, isn't it. You don't want Suzy around me because you think I'll get her killed! Is that right!" Henry was on his feet now too, bearing down on Rika, who didn't so much as blink.

"Rika…calm down," Ryo said, trying to put a pacifying hand on her shoulder. She wrenched it out of his reach.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Akiyama!" She yelled. Ryo looked hurt and taken aback. Rika hadn't called him that since before they were friends. He sat back down and looked away, angry with himself and her…a little. Rika ignored his hurt look and looked back at Henry.

"If you don't want your sister around me, then fine! Leave and take her with you! Or would you rather _I_ left? After all, it would make _all_ of you safer if I was gone!" 

"Rika…no," Jeri whimpered. Rika turned her harsh gaze to Jeri, who fell silent and shrank back against Takato. Henry was breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on Rika as she glowered at him.  

"If anyone here is selfish, Rika, it's you." He turned away from her and sat back down, hugging Suzy to stop her from crying. Rika was so angry she had actually started shaking slightly. Just as she was about to burst, a hand came to rest on her arm and she looked back.

Alex was standing behind her, her face calmingly stern. She shook her head very slightly and Rika relaxed a little. Looking around, Rika noticed just how much damage she had done in her blind rage. 

Henry was trying to calm Suzy down next to Takato, who was cradling a crying Jeri. Kazu and Kenta were cowering away from her and even Alice looked shocked. The Digimon were standing by the fire most of which were shocked and confused. Renamon was the only one who looked different. Her expression held nothing but disapproval. She turned her head away from Rika and disappeared. Rika gulped - her chest feeling oddly tight as the familiar stinging erupted deep within it - and turned around. 

But Ryo was gone… 

She looked back at Alex, who seemed oddly calm and relaxed, despite the situation. Rika shook her head in disbelief, astonished by what she had done. Pulling away from Alex, Rika ran out of the room and down the stairs. She knew Ryo was still here because Monodramon was by the fire with the rest of the Digimon. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Rika looked around for her friend. 

"Ryo…" she called, almost apprehensively. There was no answer. "Ryo…" She repeated. "Please answer me. I'm sorry, I…" She lost her voice and took a deep, shuddering breath. Her face fell at the lonely silence she had created, the stinging in her chest intensifying.

"Ryo…" she whispered sadly. Folding her arms across her chest defensively, Rika walked to her room and shut herself inside. No one would bother her here…she could be alone for as long as she wanted.

Falling face down onto her bed, Rika exhaled into her pillow and a single tear ran down her cheek and into the fabric. Maybe she was better off alone…without anyone around her who could get hurt. Even Renamon wasn't safe with Rika as her partner anymore. She slipped her arms under her pillow and hugged it closer to her face. A quiet sob escaped her lips and another tear freed itself from its prison. 

Why did things like this always happen to her? Why did she hurt the people she cared about? Why had she yelled at him like that? 

_I'm sorry, Ryo_. She thought sadly, knowing he couldn't hear her anyway.  The door opened and shut without her hearing it, so when the person reached down and touched her shoulder, Rika jumped in surprise. Looking back, Rika's eyes met Ryo's and they stared at each other. The lone tear on her cheek was glistening in the pale light as he gently wiped it away. 

Turning her face away from him, Rika shut her eyes tightly and took another deep breath.

"I…I'm so sorry, Ryo…" she whispered, her voice quivering slightly. "I never meant…"

"Shush, it's okay, Rika," Ryo said gently. He had been angry at first and had come in here to get an explanation. But seeing what the argument had done to her, Ryo had felt bad about his anger. It really wasn't her fault that the Sovereign wanted her dead. She couldn't do anything too change it. And now the Tamers were taking their frustration and worrying out on her because 'it was her fault they were in danger'. 

"Alex told me you were upset so I thought you might want someone to talk too." Rika looked up at him and smiled weakly. He really did care about her… For a brief moment, she had thought that she had lost the loving friendship she had with him, all because she had lost her temper under a stressful moment. But here he was, trying to comfort her as he always did.

Ryo, on the other hand, was gazing at Rika almost worriedly. The emotional, physical and mental strain this was putting her under was starting to get too her. He didn't want to see her hurt herself, but there was little he could do. Rika pushed herself up, whipping her bangs behind her ears.

"I'm going to go take a bath," she said, glancing at him before standing up. "Thanks, for coming, Ryo." He nodded and watched her go; silently making a promise to her that he would make sure she wasn't bothered. She needed to be alone right now, as much as Ryo didn't like it. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika sank deeper into the warm water until only her eyes were dry. She stayed under for as long as she could, before slowly raising her nose out and taking a breath. The water was soothing and she felt more relaxed than she had in a long while. When she sank back under, all sound disappeared and it felt almost like she was in a different world. She allowed a single bubble to escape her lips and watched as it rose slowly to the surface in a delicate swaying motion. It popped gently when it reached the top and a small ripple creased the waters smooth edge.

Shutting her eyes, Rika rose for another breath and then sank back down again. She loved water. Lying in it felt like floating on a cloud. She felt weightless and invisible. Letting a few bubbles of air out of her mouth, Rika released an inner sigh. So peaceful…so calm…

Her vision suddenly flashed and before Rika knew what was happening, she was flying in the air over the frozen Digi-Phirmha. Three huge Digimon were walking far below her and they seemed to be discussing something. Allowing her body to do as it pleased, Rika quietly drifted down so that she could listen to them from above. 

"The Sovereign are angry. None of the Devas have even damaged the group of humans yet." Said the first one. This Digimon was a tall, yellow dragon that had single black rings around its neck, tail, wrists and legs. It had red, flame-like markings around its green eyes and fire sprouted from its tail and out of the back of its head like a horn. On its feet, it had three toes pointing forwards and one pointing back. Its hands had only three fingers each. It looked like a cross between a raptor and a dragon. 

"Yes, Infernumon. It is true; our own fates now rest entirely on our success. If we do not fulfill our Masters' wishes, we will face the wrath of Zihuralamon," said the second one. This Digimon looked like an oriental, Chinese dragon. Its body was long and snake like, but its head was clearly reptilian. It had two braided beards and long purple markings on its crimson face. Half way down the body, the red coloring stopped and became yellow via a fiery pattern. The lower half of his body was bright yellow and his tail ended with a blue fan that looked like frozen flames. It had two legs on its upper, red body and two on its lower, yellow body. Each clawed foot had two toes pointed forwards and one pointed back.  His eyes were bright green and he had two horns on the back of his head, both turned slightly backwards. 

"Are you sure we must destroy the humans? Wouldn't it be easier to send them back to the real world?" Asked the last Digimon. This one was different from the other two. It was a huge snow wolf Digimon with a thick coat of white fur. It had a 'collar' of white, triangular outgrowths around its neck, each tipped with a different shade of blue. It also had a mane of pale yellow hair around its neck, much like Renamon's only thicker. Its eyes were a bright orange, which shown against the blue marking around its muzzle. The mark moved back over its head and onto its back, branching off three times along its spine in jagged spikes. The blue line moved right down to the tips of her tail, spreading out when it got there. Her ears were tipped with blue and her strong paws had black claws on the ends of them. 

"Do you pity the Humans, Whentuhmon? Your emotions make you weak. There is no point in sending the humans back. The girl will simply keep destroying our kind!" Infernumon growled. 

"Do you intend to let her free if you can?" Thorumon asked. Whentuhmon hung her head slightly, but then frowned at her two companions.

"I will do no such thing! I would never let you or our Masters down my brothers!" She said defiantly. 

"Yes, after all, we are the Digimon elements! We are the truth of all matter. Its origin!" Infernumon said.

"Fire, Ice and Lightning! The power we possess will crush those pathetic creatures!" Thorumon yelled. 

"Then onward to Tornado Valley! We cannot keep our Masters waiting." Infernumon and Thorumon sped forward with Whentuhmon running almost half-heartedly along behind them.

Rika watched them go before she suddenly felt her chest contract and before she could so much as blink everything went black around her. Gasping for air, Rika sat up in the inset, pool-like bath tub that lay underground in the home of the late Digimon couple: Jijimon and Babamon. She spluttered and choked, desperately trying to take air into her water logged lungs. Staggering out of the water, Rika collapsed onto the floor, taking in deep, calming breaths to ease the pain in her chest. She had almost drowned in there… Had she fallen asleep…or fainted again? Were the three Devas she had seen…only a dream? Or a premonition? Like the one she had had about the river. Shivering slightly, Rika stumbled a little as she stood and gave herself a once over. Nothing seemed injured and she could breathe easily again, so she dried herself off, got dressed and left the bathroom, feeling thoroughly confused and a little afraid. Was she going mad? Or was she psychic? 

Slipping quietly into her room, Rika sat on the bed and fell back onto her back. Rolling over, she lay on her side and shook her head. It was also confusing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So the three Devas you saw are headed this way?" Ryo asked. Rika nodded and sighed, leaning back into the sofa. She, Ryo, Alex and their Digimon were sitting in the living room, discussing Rika's premonition. Yes, she was sure that was what it had been now. The vision had been too vivid for it to be a dream. 

"I still don't understand why you're having theses premonitions, Rika. You can't possibly be _psychic_. That's just way too…sci-fi!" Alex folded her arms and looked at Rika curiously. This was definitely something new to her. Rika shrugged and looked into the fire thoughtfully. Was it really possible? She glanced at Alex and Ryo before looking back at the fire. They were the only two people who had forgiven her for her outburst, despite the fact that it hadn't been her fault. She was glad Renamon wasn't angry with her. She had only been slightly disappointed. 

"Perhaps Rika is psychic. There is no way of telling. But the idea is highly improbable," said the Fox Digimon, her arms folded like her Tamer's. 

"Why not?" Rika asked. "After all, I've been communicating with you psychically ever since we met." Renamon made a soft noise of confusion and shut her eyes. It made no sense, but what Rika was saying was true. Renamon wasn't a psychic Digimon and she had no powers of telepathy…so perhaps it _had_ been Rika all along with the powers. 

"I still can't imagine Rika with psychic abilities," Ryo said quietly. The thought scared him a little to tell the truth.   

"It scares me too, Ryo. But there's nothing I can do about it. Maybe this is the real reason they're after me in the first place." Rika frowned in thought as she spoke. 

"It is possible. But what use would the Sovereign have for a clairvoyant?" Cyberdramon growled. 

"They don't want her alive. Maybe her powers, if she had any at all, threaten them." 

"Alexis has a point," Koronamon agreed. "If the Sovereign wanted her for her powers, then they wouldn't be out to destroy her."

"Koronamon…please, its _Alex_!" She sighed in frustration. Getting rather irritated with the fact that they were talking about her like she wasn't there, Rika decided to step into the conversation again. 

"Look, we don't even know if these visions mean I'm psychic or not! For all we know, it could be a fluke!" She snapped. 

"Yeah but…twice in a row, Rika? It seems a little unlikely, don't you think?" Ryo asked. "Remember the one you had on Digi-Phirmha?" Rika fell silent. Ryo was right. If these visions were flukes, she wouldn't have had more than one. They had to be real…but how? They all jumped when they heard a small sound towards the stairs. 

It was Henry. 

He walked up to them and stood, rather awkwardly, in front of Rika. He took a deep breath and Rika knew he was about to apologize. But, oddly enough, she didn't want to hear it. 

"Forget it, Henry. It doesn't matter. I lost my temper too," she said, looking back at the fire. 

"Yeah, but I start…" 

"I don't want to hear it, Henry," she said, and meant it. She wasn't in the mood. Taking this as forgiveness, Henry sat down on a sofa of his own to join the conversation. Ryo and Alex filled him in on the details while Rika reflected on her vision. It had seemed as if the Devas had been pretty close to them. At least from what she had been able to make of the surroundings. And she had had the premonition about what…two hours ago maybe? They had been moving really fast, which meant that they would be here soon. Very soon. 

She looked at her friends and then turned back to the fire. One Deva at a time had been bad enough…but _three_ Devas who claimed to have power over the elements seemed damned near impossible to beat. They needed time to prepare, but where could they find that kind of time? When she looked up again, Henry was sitting quietly contemplating the facts he received. He always was the type of guy who worked with the facts and nothing but. He was logical and that was exactly what she needed right now. Logic.

"What do you think, Rika?" She started and looked to her left. Ryo was watching her questioningly, but she had no idea what he had said.

"Sorry…I wasn't listening. What were you saying?" 

"We were saying that if the Devas are on their way here, then that means that they know were we are. We should have guessed they knew when Jarimon attacked us," Alex said. 

"So we figured we should get everyone outta here and find a new place to stay," Henry added. 

"And we might want to go out and meet the Devas before they arrive so that the younger kids won't be in any danger of getting hurt," Ryo said from where he was sitting beside her. "What do you think?" Rika thought for a while, weighing her options. 

Fact: The Devas knew where she was.

Fact: They were on their way and probably quite close.

Fact: If they got here, everyone stood a very good chance of being killed.

Fact: There was only one choice…

"We're leaving," she said simply. "It's too dangerous to fight in a place that has such unpredictable weather. We need somewhere we can hide Suzy, Ai and Mako and still be able to battle without a lack of space." The other Tamers all nodded in agreement.

"Ryo, what about that distorted castle we found?" Cyberdramon growled. Ryo smiled at his partner.

"That's a great idea. We could put the kids in the castle and still be able to get to Digi-Phirmha to battle! There's a spiraling staircase that takes you to the different levels of the Digital world in that area," he exclaimed.

"Hey, yeah! I remember that place!" Alex said. "Knightmon told me you guys stayed there for a night." Ryo nodded and flashed Rika one of his trademark grins. 

"All of us except Rika," he said mischievously. "I made her mad the first time we met here and she lost her temper and left." Rika grinned back at him.

"Well if you hadn't acted like such an arrogant hotshot, maybe I wouldn't have left at all," she replied.

"Are they like this all of the time?" Alex asked, leaning closer to Henry so that Rika and Ryo wouldn't hear. They were still throwing playful comments at each other. 

"Yeah, they never stop. I guess it must be their way of showing affection," Henry smirked. Alex rose and eyebrow at him and looked at Rika curiously.

"They're dating?" She asked. Henry laughed and shook his head.

"No. But like I told Alice, they should be. I mean, come on!" He exclaimed, waving a hand at them in a frustrated sort of gesture. "It should be obvious even to _them_." Alex chuckled at Henry and nodded.

"You're right. It should be," she replied. Then she turned to the others, settling back in her original position. "Hey you two. We have more important matters to discuss here. You can flirt with each other later." She grinned at the glare she received from Rika and the snigger she got from Ryo. Henry laughed and shook his head at them. 

"Okay, that's enough. I'll go get the others." He stood up and left the room to find the rest of the Tamers. Rika sat back and folded her arms angrily. 

_She had no right to say that_, she thought angrily, glaring at Alex, who just smiled. _That girl is more annoying than Ryo is_. 

_Now, now, Rika. Be nice. Alexis was only joking_, Renamon said. 

_Yeah, I'll bet_, Rika growled, grinning inwardly at Renamon anyway. 

"Okay, everyone's here. Let's get going." Henry had come back with the rest of the Tamers, all of which looked ready to leave. "The wind is still blowing outside, but its calm enough for us to leave." Rika stood up with Ryo and Alex and looked around at her friends. She turned towards the door, walked up to it and without a word, left the house. The Tamers watched the empty doorway before Ryo stepped up to it and left too. Alex, Renamon, Cyberdramon and Koronamon followed and this led to the rest of the Tamers and Digimon leaving too. Kazu and Kenta were the last to leave. They turned back and closed the door.

"Goodbye, Jijimon," Kazu said.

"Thanks for everything, Babamon," Kenta added. Then they ran after the Tamers, calling for them to wait.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rika looked around the valley, wondering how on earth they were going to get out of it without flying. They needed to conserve every last drop of their energy of they were going to beat the three Devas that were on their way. 

"So, what now? Do we fly or climb?" Alice asked, stepping up beside Rika. Her blonde pigtails were blowing around in the wind and her eyes were squinted against the harsh whiteness of the snow. 

"We'll lose less energy if we fly," Henry said. He was standing to Alice's right and he seemed oddly closer to her than need be. Ignoring the fact, Rika looked up at the oh-so-far peaks of the mountains that were her current point of interest. Henry had a point. They had no choice. To find a way around the mountains would take to long and to climb would definitely take to much energy.

"I say we fly," Ryo said, folding his arms thoughtfully. Takato nodded.

"Yeah, there's no way around or under so we might as well go over," he agreed. 

"Well then, it's settled. We fly." Renamon walked up to Rika and looked down at her. 

"Are you okay with that, Rika?" She asked. Rika glanced at her partner briefly before shrugging lightly. She had too much to think about for the moment. Let the others handle transportation and she was free to think about her own problems.

"Okay then. How's this gonna work?" Ryo asked, looking around at the Tamers and their Digimon. "Takato, do you have a flight modify card with you?" Takato started and then nodded, producing the card from within his pocket. 

"Great," Ryo said, clapping his hands together in satisfaction. "Combine it with a Digivolution card and we're all set for about four people and their partners." Takato nodded again and did as Ryo had suggested. Once Guilmon had digivolved to Growlmon, Takato, Henry, Terriermon, Suzy, Lopmon, Alice and Labramon climbed up onto his head and into his arms. 

"You okay, Boy?" Takato asked, patting Growlmon's head. 

"Uh-huh. No problems here, Takato," he said in his sweet-gruff voice. Kazu, Kenta and MarineAngemon hopped onto Guardromon's back while the rest of the Tamers decided who was going to ride where. 

"Koronamon and I can take one person," Alex said calmly, her arms folded and her expression somewhat bored. "Jeri? Would you like to ride with us again?" Jeri smiled at her appreciatively.

"Thanks Alex." Alex shrugged and used a Digivolution card on Koronamon. Within minutes, she and Jeri were seated comfortably on Bueramon. 

"Okay, that just leaves AI, Mako, Rika and I," Ryo said. 

"Ai and Mako can ride with me," Growlmon said kindly, lowering him self so that the youngsters could climb up on his shoulders. 

"Hey, thanks Pineapple-head, I owe ya one," Impmon grinned, leaning against one of Growlmon's horns. 

"Right, so I guess you're with me again, Pumpkin," Ryo smiled. Rika sighed and walked with him towards Cyberdramon, who gave them each a leg up before lifting Renamon into his arms. 

"Okay, are we all set?" Takato called. The Tamers called out a collected "Let's go already!" This, of course, caused Takato to face fault into Growlmon's horns. Cyberdramon, Bueramon and Growlmon all lifted off the ground, getting slightly battered by the wind. 

"We don't have much time. Let's make this a quick trip, okay?" Rika said to Ryo. He turned his head back to look at her and gave her a reassuring smile. 

"No problem. Cyberdramon and I know the way, so if everyone follows us, we should be fine." Rika shook her head at him, tightening her grip around his waist when Cyberdramon put on an extra burst of speed. They flew for what felt like hours, well…to Rika anyway. But the more they flew, the more everything below them seemed to start looking the same.            

"Akiyama! Are you sure you aren't lost?" Rika called. Her face was numb from the cold already and she had buried it into the back of his neck to shield her self from the wind. 

"Well, Rika. Since everyone's following me, if I got lost, so would they." Rika let out an exasperated sigh and turned her face away from her shelter to look around. She could see nothing but white. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, like someone had hit her from the inside. She yelped in pain and grabbed her head. 

_There they are_!

_Soon our masters' taste for revenge shall be satisfied_! What the…? Rika looked around again, her head spinning slightly from the pain. What had _that_ been about? Those voices…they had sounded like Thorumon and Infernumon. Her eyes widened and she looked around frantically. The Devas could see them but they couldn't see the Devas. This put them at a terrible disadvantage.

"Ryo!" She cried. "The Devas! They can see us!" Ryo looked back at her in hock and then, like she had, looked around quickly. 

"Where are they?" He called back.

"I dunno! I just heard them talking in my head!" The wind was screaming in her ears and it was all she could do to allow him to hear her. 

"If we can't see them but they can see us then we…"

"Thor's Thunder!" A long whip of lightning flashed in front of Cyberdramon and he reared back so quickly that he almost threw Rika and Ryo off his back. 

"Where did that come from?" Takato yelled from where he was holding onto Growlmon's horn. 

"Down there," Cyberdramon growled, pointing directly below them. Three Digimon were rising in the air towards them with terrifying speed. 

"You missed, Thorumon," Infernumon laughed. "Allow me to show you hoe its done! Infernal Fire Claw!"  Infernumon's claws burst into flames and he started punching the air, his arms becoming blurs from the speed. With every punch, he released a giant ball of fire that hissed in the cold air. 

"Scatter!" Henry yelled. The Tamers separated and the fireballs went directly past them.

"Now look who missed," Whentuhmon snickered. 

"Silence you irritating wolf!" Infernumon snapped. Whentuhmon growled at him angrily and he snarled back at her. 

"Enough! Our battle is with the Humans!" Thorumon raced upwards and collided heavily with Cyberdramon before he even had time to blink. He roared agonizingly and feel backwards, Rika and Ryo both being thrown from his back. 

"Cyberdramon!" Ryo called desperately. He looked over to where Rika was falling, but in a flash of yellow, Infernumon flew past him and grabbed Rika in his claws. Cyberdramon, growling painfully, pulled out of his fall and managed to fly up to catch Ryo. 

"You okay, Buddy?" Ryo asked. Cyberdramon just snarled and touched down to the ground. He was badly injured but the look he was giving Ryo could only mean one thing. Bio-merge. 

"Right," Ryo said resolutely. "Let's go save Rika…again." He raised his D-Power and in a bright flash, accompanied by a yell of "Bio-merge activate!" he and Cyberdramon had become Justimon. 

Infernumon was laughing maniacally as he tightened his grip on Rika, watching gleefully as she tensed with pain trying to free her self of his powerful grip. Growlmon and Taomon had both landed and ha de-Digivolved back to Rookies. Takato, Guilmon, Henry and Terriermon all bio-merged to their mega forms, leaving Renamon alone on the ground with the other Tamers. 

"If we're gonna fight, we have to go to crimson mode, Guilmon," Takato said. 

"Right!"  Gallantmon started glowing bright white before his form started changing. 

"Crimson Digivolution activate!" He yelled and the light around him formed a large dome. It exploded and Gallantmon Crimson Mode stood in the middle of a huge crater in the snow. He spread his ten angelic wings wide and took off to help the others. 

"I wants to help too!" Impmon said angrily. He ran forward and Digivolved himself to Belezemon. "Wait for me guys!" 

"Be careful, Impmon!" Ai called. 

"Go kick some butt!" Mako added. Lopmon turned to Suzy and looked up at her seriously. 

"Suzy, they're going to need my help too." Suzy gazed at her partner before nodding. 

"Go help the, Lopmon!" She raised her pink D-Power and dragged a Digivolution card through it. "Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!" 

"Lopmon, Deva Digivolve too…Antylamon!" Antylamon leapt up into the air and flew into the fray.

"Uh…we'll just hold down the fort back here!" Kazu called. Alice rolled her eyes and looked down at Labramon. Alexis and Koronamon had already Bio-merged to SacreAngewomon and were flying up too.

"Are you strong enough to battle yet, Labramon?" She asked. Labramon stood up on his hind legs and folded his arms. 

"Let's go," he said simply. Alice smiled happily. 

"Right. Shall we Bio-merge? We haven't done that one before, but I think we should be able to." Labramon shut his eyes thoughtfully.

"Hmm…yes, it would increase our odds." 

"Okay!" Alice raised her own D-Power, like she had seen the other Tamers do. "Bio-merge Activate!" To her delight, a light burst from her D-Powers screen and it engulfed herself and Labramon.

"Labramon Bio-merge to…" He floated down to Alice and they fused into one being. "…Anubismon!" A huge dog-like Digimon landed on the ground, kneeled down on one knee. He folded his massive golden wings, which glinted beautifully in the sunlight. His body was a lilac-blue colour and it had darker purple markings along its arms and down its chest. It had a crimson and golden Egyptian collar around its neck and a pale beige tunic around its waist. Large bands of stiff material revolved around his wrists, each one decorated with red and gold triangles and a golden lining.  It's head was a darker purple, like the markings on his body and his hair was a dark grey purple that was tied back with a low hanging, red cord. Two braided pieces of hair ran down by its shoulders and it had thick golden bracelets high up above its thin elbows. His arms were thin by the shoulders but thickened considerably below the elbows and down.

Jeri and the remaining Tamers stared at him in shocked awe. She lifted her D-Power and the screen opened out.

"Anubismon. A Vaccine God Man type Digimon. His special attacks are Amemit and Pyramid Power." 

"Dude, that is so awesome!" Kazu gasped. 

"Yeah…" Kenta said quietly. Anubismon stood up, a gentle wind blowing around him. He looked up at the other Digimon who were all flying towards the Devas, one of which was still having fun by slowly crushing Rika. Growling softly, he rose gently into the air and floated up after them. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Let her go you monsters!" Justimon yelled. He drew his blade and pulled it back, ready to strike.  

"The only monster here is this pathetic little human!" Infernumon laughed, shaking Rika to emphasize his point. Justimon glared at him angrily and shot forward. 

"I said let her go! Voltage Blade!" He tore his sword through the air and it connected with Infernumon's wrist, severing it from his arm. He wailed loudly in pain, holding the stub at the end of his arm as his hand fell away, the fingers releasing their grip on Rika, allowing her to free fall to the snowy earth. Megagargomon caught her and flew down to the ground again.   

"Are you okay, Rika?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," she said, dusting herself off and wincing slightly. He had really put the squeeze on her…no pun intended. 

"Rika!" Renamon ran up to her and Rika smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine Renamon. But what do you say we go help the others?" Renamon nodded and they Bio-merged to Sakuyamon. Justimon and Gallantmon were already battling Infernumon and Anubismon and Belezemon were fighting off Thorumon with Antylamon. Rika joined Justimon and flew at Infernumon furiously. 

"Let's see how you like it when I can fight back! Dragon Helix!" She held up her staff and traced a pentagon in the sky. At each point, a ball of lilac light shone brightly against the dark blue pentagon's lines. The balls got bigger and started taking the forms of dragons. Each dragon roared viciously and burst from its orb, flying towards Infernumon. The dragons flew in a spiraling motion until they had formed a long tunnel with their bodies. Sakuyamon moved out of the way and Justimon took her place in front of the pentagon. 

"Justice Burst!" He punched his hand into the middle of the pentagon and a blast of red and yellow light shot down the tunnel like a cannon.

"Spiral Saver!" Gallantmon yelled. A field of electricity spiraled around his lance and flew burst forward in a blaze of light. The three attacks merged and crashed into Infernumon at his mid chest. He didn't so much as flinch. There was only the tiniest of scratch marks on his chest and he simply wiped it clean. 

"Is that the best you've got? You're even weaker than I thought." Justimon and Sakuyamon blanched in fear and backed off slightly while Gallantmon simply stared in shock. They had all hit him full on and he wasn't even hurt? Now what were they supposed to do? 

"Infernumon! This is getting tiresome. Let's dispose of these pests once and for all!" Thorumon yelled.

"I agree. Whentuhmon! Do you still wish to let the humans live or do you serve our master?" Whentuhmon looked at the Tamers almost sadly before moving over to Infernumon's side. 

"Let's get it over with," she growled, her voice a husky sort of sweet tone. 

"Excellent!" Thorumon threw off Anubismon's attacks and joined his partners. The shifted positions until they were standing in a triangle, each Deva making a point on the shape. They all inhaled deeply and shouted out in unison, their bodies glowing brightly. 

"Delta Dragons!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Oh no!!!! A cliffy!! HAHAHA!!!! I laugh at you! Uh…I guess you noticed that huh? Anywho. Sowy it took so long but I've been really busy. I have an art project due soon and I'm writing a physics test too! Oh how I wish 11th grade were over!!!!! So uh…review or I'll discontinue the story like I'm thinking about doing to my Harry Potter fic. Losin' interest ya know. Okay, bye-bye for now!!!! 


	14. Battle of the Elements part II

Hi, I'm back!!! So, what to do…? You guys have been soooo kind with all the reviews! And I hate to have to be so prolonging in my story, but I'm not sure where I'm gonna fit in _His_ first appearance. Anywho, fanks for da reviews…you guys are way too kind. I deserve a lot more flames than I'm getting. You guys ROCK!!! \,,/(^o^)\,,/ ß It's a little man pulling a rock sign in case you can't see it…lol.

Chapter 14 

Battle of the Elements (part II)

"Delta Dragons!" A bright light connected the three Digimon and they began to glow more brightly (had anyone noticed that I use a lot of light in my battle scenes? lol). Sparks were sizzling between the three orbs that were the Digimon and the line of light became thicker until it was no longer a line, but a solid triangle. The light became gold as the colours swirled together. All three Digimon roared loudly and a huge, transparent pyramid closed around Sakuyamon, Justimon, Gallantmon and Megagargomon. 

"What's happening!" Gallantmon said nervously. Sakuyamon flew at the pyramid walls but when her body connected with one, she was thrown back into Justimon, her body writhing with the force of the electrical shock she had received. 

"You okay?" Justimon asked. Sakuyamon growled angrily and pushed herself out of his arms. 

"I'm fine…"

"Guys, look!" Megagargomon was pointing up to the golden triangle above them. It was spinning faster and faster until it formed a ball and from the center of it, a huge beam of energy burst through the air, speeding down towards the trapped Megas. The beam connected with the very top most point of the pyramid and it exploded. The Digimon cried out as they each got thrown in different directions. 

Justimon skidded across the ground, leaving a deep trench after him. When he stopped, Ryo and Cyberdramon separated and the two of them lay motionless on the ground. Sakuyamon was thrown down in the same direction, but she flew further, slamming into one of the rock formations in the area. She broke right through it, flying through another three formations before she finally and landed with an almighty crash, De-Digivolving like Justimon. Gallantmon and Megagargomon were both flung into the remaining Digimon, all of whom De-Digivolved from the force of the impact. The Tamers were left injured (some unconscious) and totally defenseless. 

Infernumon and Thorumon landed side by side, each laughing deeply and evilly. Whentuhmon on the other hand, landed apart from the others, looking over the damage they had caused. The remaining Tamers were running towards their friends, trying to wake them while those that were hurt remained on the ground. Ryo and Monodramon had both managed to stagger to their feet and were making their way gingerly towards Rika and Renamon. Rika groaned, but didn't move from the ground, her eyes shut tight. Renamon sat up and lifted Rika's head off the ground when Ryo knelt down beside her, exhausted and badly hurt. Monodramon was snarling viciously at the Devas as they each advanced on the Tamers. Whentuhmon was walking towards Rika, Ryo, Renamon and Monodramon. She looked almost apprehensive as she advanced upon them, her bright orange eyes gazing at them pityingly. 

"I'm am sorry, but we must take you to the Sovereign…" she said quietly, her head very slightly bowed. Infernumon snorted angrily and stopped stalking Henry, Alice, Kazu and Suzy, to look at his comrade. 

"You are weak, Whentuhmon. We are here to destroy them and destroy them we shall! If you had put enough power into the attack, they all would have been long gone!" He faced the Tamers again and his eyes shone luminously. "Hmm…Cyclone Inferno!!" He flexed his arms in a vicious swoop and the flame on his tail flared out into a giant blaze behind him. The sky became shrouded with dark clouds and massive cracks of lightning sparked around him. In a powerful swipe, he flipped his tail and the flames started spinning. Faster and faster, the fire whirled off his tail and formed and huge twister, tearing up the ground in its path towards the Tamers.

"No, Stop! Heaven's Blizzard!" Whentuhmon leapt in front of the attack and she opened her mouth wide. A ball of ice formed between her jaws, not quite touching her. Ice from all around her gathered at the ball and it became bigger, until it was twice the size of her body. She pulled her head back and with a deafening howl, she let the huge sphere fly from her mouth in a torrent of arctic wind and snow. The hoarfrost swirled around the fiery tornado and in a matter of seconds the twister was nothing more than a spiraled tower of ice. The clouds faded and the sky cleared over again.

"What's this? You dare stop my attack! You traitor! If you will protect the humans then you will die with them!"

"Our mission is barbaric! Why should we destroy what deserves to live just as much as you do? The Girl made a mistake, but she also helped save the Digital World. Surely we should be grateful to her for that? To all the Humans?" She was standing in front of the Tamers like a guardian, matching the glares she was receiving from her two partners. Thorumon was growling menacingly and Infernumon was simply glaring at her, his arms folded. 

"Very well. If that is your decision, then we have no choice…but to destroy you as well!" Thorumon flew high into the air and twisted his body into a circle. The ring that he created darkened and an image of a dark, grassy plane appeared in the 'window'. Lightning flashed in the image and booming thunder shook the ground below the Tamers feet. 

"Devastation Tundra!" There were more flashes of lighting and all of a sudden, a huge blast of electricity exploded from the ringed image. 

"Enough! Icicle Blades!" Whentuhmon dug her feet into the ground and her eyes started glowing maniacally. Hundreds of long, thin shards of ice formed above her and with a toss of her head the icicles shot towards Thorumon. Every one of them pierced his body at different places and he cried out in pain, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. The electrical explosion he had created sent the Tamers flying back and several of them were knocked out along with their Digimon. Henry sat up groggily, trying to shake Alice awake. His face was etched with desperation as he sat there, his little sister helping Ai and Mako wake the others up too. Terriermon, Lopmon and Guilmon ran forward and started attacking Thorumon with everything they had, despite the fact that their efforts did little more than tickle him.

"You treacherous Monster!" Infernumon leapt at Whentuhmon and they rolled back over the hill in a scuffling heap. Jeri was directly in their path and she was frozen with fear as the two huge Digimon rolled towards her, exploding with their elemental power. 

"Jeri, move!" Takato cried. Whentuhmon looked back at Jeri and with a great effort, managed to break free of her fall and knock Infernumon away from the girl; two seconds more and she would have been dead. Whentuhmon looked down at Jeri, who smiled weakly.

"Are you okay, Human?" Whentuhmon asked.

"Y…yes, thank you," Jeri said, her voice a little husky with shock. Takato ran towards her and pulled her away from the battle as Whentuhmon leapt at Infernumon once more. 

"She s…saved me!" Jeri said to Takato who just gaped at the two Digimon as they fought each other. 

"Infernal fire Claw!" The attacks all hit Whentuhmon and the power was increased dew to the close range. She howled as the attacks threw her off Infernumon, sending her skidding across the snowy earth, leaving a deep trench behind her. 

"Whentuhmon!" Jeri cried. She broke free of Takato's and ignoring his calls for her to come back, she ran to the injured Digimon. "Are you alright?" She asked, kneeling beside her. Her eyes were level with Whentuhmon's, but only because she was lying on her side. Her eyes softened and a small smile spread across her muzzle. Then her senses were suddenly filled with the power of an attack. In a flash of blue and white, she had gently grabbed Jeri by the collar and jumped out of the way of Infernumon's attack. 

"Stay here…Jeri," she said, before growling and lunging herself at Infernumon. She caught him around the neck, her massive jaws crushing down on his throat. Infernumon roared in pain and anger and swiped his claws at her, dragging his long nails across her back and neck to make her let go. 

"Thorumon! Get the Humans!" Infernumon choked, still trying to get Whentuhmon to let go, but she was holding on like a Bulldog to a bone. She tightened her grip and Infernumon's anguished cried became louder. Thorumon, ignoring the well being of his comrade, rose back into the sky, his body filled with injuries from the attack he had suffered at the "traitor's" expense. He flew towards Rika and Ryo, his eyes gleaming furiously. Ryo saw him getting closer and his chest tightened with panic. Rika was to hurt to stand and Renamon was to weak to Digivolve or carry her. He frantically pulled out a digivolution card and to his disappointment it didn't turn Blue. 

"This will just have to do… Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!" 

"Monodramon Digivolve to…Strikedramon!" Strikedramon was a blue-purple dragon-man Digimon. He had army green, baggy pants on and he wore silver, metallic shoulder plates. He had metallic guards on his hands and heels too. His hands had three clawed fingers, which looked more like some sort of strange tool than fingers. There were two black belts around his upper left leg and more bits of armor on his pants. His long tail was tipped with a blunt ended piece of metal and his helmeted head was completely masked except for his lower jaw and shaggy red hair. He had another belt around his waist and one more around his neck. His entire chest was taken up with a bright red symbol the likes of which you might see in an ancient temple. He roared and got ready to battle, his arms outstretched and his fingers flexing impatiently. Thorumon reared himself up in the air and his eyes flashed bright yellow. 

"Lightning River!" His entire body went rigid and he opened his mouth wide. With a mighty yell, he brought his head back and then threw it forward, a giant raging flood of thunder and lightning bursting out of his mouth. Strikedramon growled and braced himself, holding his arms out to catch the attack. It connected with his hands and became a huge ball of surging electrical energy. The energy was becoming unbearably hot and the light was blinding. Strikedramon was being pushed back slowly as the attack forced itself towards its targets. Ryo was covering Rika with his body and Renamon had found the strength to help Strikedramon hold of the attack. Rika's data started becoming fuzzy below Ryo. He held her tighter and shut his eyes, the power radiating from behind him was excruciating! 

"Guilmon! We have to help them!" Takato yelled. 

"Right, Takatomon!" Guilmon ran forward and when Takato dragged a digivolution card through his D-Arc, Guilmon became Growlmon and bounded behind the attack an added his own strength to help them.

"Terriermon! You too!" Terriermon flew into the air without a word of complaint and he Digivolved to Gargomon with Henry's help. With the four Digimon's combined power, they were able to at least hold the attack off. Takato and Henry ran up to Ryo and Rika to help them.

"Come on, lets get her outta here," Henry said, helping Ryo stand. Takato supported him away while Henry lifted Rika and carried her away, tottering slightly under her dead weight (have I said that before in this fic?). The Digimon were finding it hard to hold the attack off anymore because Thorumon was adding more and more electricity to it. When the Tamers were sufficiently out of the way, Henry stood up and called out to them.

"Get out of there guys! Scatter!" The Digimon did as they were told and separated letting the attack fall forward. It connected with the spot Rika and Ryo had been lying on and it exploded the instant in came into contact with the ground. Ryo looked down at Rika, who was lying in the snow, unconscious, her data still hazy and broken. To his horror, it suddenly burst apart, the pieces drifting around him for a second before her body slowly reformed itself. Renamon and the other Digimon appeared beside their Tamers and Growlmon and Gargomon ran off to help Whentuhmon. Renamon knelt down beside Rika and gently touched her arm. Her paw went right through it and the data that she touched faded and reformed again when she pulled her hand away. 

"What are we going to do?" Renamon said anxiously. 

"We help?" said a small voice. Ryo turned to look up at Kenta and MarineAngemon. Kenta seemed uninjured, but MarineAngemon looked ready to de-digivolve. He floated down and hovered above Rika's chest. 

"Kahuna Waves!" He released the small blue heart-bubbles and they popped on Rika's cheeks. 

"Kahuna Waves!" More and more bubbles popped on her face and her data stopped shaking and became stable once more. Her face contorted with pain and she mumbled something before opening her eyes slightly. Ryo smiled with relief, as did Renamon. 

"W-what happened?" She asked, allowing Renamon to help her sit. 

"You were almost deleted, Rika," Renamon said, looking her Tamer over, but she seemed fine now. "MarineAngemon saved you." Rika looked down at the little Digimon, who had collapsed onto her lap. His body glowed bright white and then became slightly bigger and more dog-fish-like. When the light faded, a Gomamon was lying on her lap, his eyes drooping a little.  Kenta stooped to pick him up and cradled him in his arms.

"Thanks, Gomamon," Rika said appreciatively. He nodded and shut his eyes. Having used the last of his energy to heal her, the little Digimon was exhausted and in desperate need of a nap. Rika stumbled to her feet and looked back to where Thorumon was flying towards Whentuhmon and the other Digimon. Infernumon was losing the battle because he was outnumbered, but that was about to change. 

"We have to help the others," Alexis said as she walked up to them. She was hurt too, but not very badly. She and Koronamon looked ready to battle again. Rika nodded determinately; she wasn't going to let these Deva morons get the better of her. 

"Renamon!" 

"Right, Rika." They nodded at each other and Rika lifted her glowing D-Arc. Ryo, Alex and Alice (who had stepped up beside Henry) all did the same. 

"Bio-Merge Activate!!" In a blinding flash, four Mega level Digimon flew off towards the raging battle at the bottom of the hill. 

"Spirit Crusher!" A big ball of amethyst light formed at the end of Sakuyamon's staff. She reached up and took it off, holding it in her hand like a throwing disc. She pulled her arm back and twisted in the sky four times before she let the ball go. It whizzed towards Thorumon, who was powering up to use his "Lightning River" attack. 

"Shield of the Just!" 

"Mega Twister!" Megagargomon started spinning faster and faster on the spot, his arms raised over his head ballet style. The air around him formed a giant green tornado and he let it rip, sending it soaring along with Gallantmon's attack towards Thorumon. 

"Justice Burst!" Justimon's attack hit Thorumon in between his eyes and he roared angrily, his head being thrown back by the force. The other attacks hit him in the neck, ripping at the sensitive flesh over that main artery. A Digimon may not have blood, but it still dies when you sever its head from its body. And that's exactly what happened to Thorumon. For a second, his head simply hovered in the air above his neck, his eyes wide with shock. He only just managed top roar before his head exploded and the rest of his body disappeared. 

Taking light from her former allies defeat, Whentuhmon, as injured as she was, leapt back at Infernumon to attack once again. He an advantage over her element wise, but Whentuhmon had more people helping her. All the Tamers were now beside her, forming a circle around Infernumon. 

"You've fought your final battle valiantly, Infernumon; but now its time we ended our little argument." Whentuhmon took a step towards him and he growled. 

"You haven't beaten me yet! Cyclone Inferno!" The raging tornado grew bigger and bigger, until it was large enough to hit all the Digimon at once. 

"That's not gonna work this time," Gallantmon said. "Shield of the Just!" 

"Mega Barrage!"

"Amethyst Wind!"

"Voltage Blade!" 

"Sacred Divinity!" (BTW, that was SacreAngewomon)

"Heaven's Blizzard!"

Pyramid Power!" Anubismon's attack was the final addition to the incredible burst of power. The attacks all merged with the fiery tornado and the flames imploded on Infernumon. There was an impressive light show before then, different colours flashing around the Digimon, illuminating them in bright glows. But the light faded and the colours disappeared, leaving nothing but a broken version of Infernumon behind.  He coughed agonizingly and his data started breaking. 

"Traitors to our Master will be…destroyed…" He vanished and Sakuyamon was about to load his data, when Whentuhmon stopped her. 

"Don't," she said. "You do not need to load data to become stronger. There is another, more powerful way." The Tamers de-Digivolved and Takato fell to the ground with a relieved sigh. 

"Well, I'm glad _that's_ over," he said. Suzy ran up to Henry, hugging Lopmon tightly to her chest. 

"Are you okay, Henry?" She asked. He nodded and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. 

"Ya did good, Pineapple-Head," Impmon said casually. He, Ai and Mako had all been restraining Suzy and Lopmon till now and were all quite happy that the battle was over.

"Is everyone alright?" Whentuhmon asked, looking down at the Tamers. Rika was dusting herself off and pulling her back into a spiky ponytail. 

"All things considered…yeah, I'd say we're fine," she replied. 

"What you did was really brave, Whentuhmon," Jeri said sweetly. Whentuhmon smiled down at her favorably. 

"Thank you, Jeri," she said. "But I couldn't let them destroy you. After all, none of you did anything wrong." She looked specifically at Rika when she said this. Sitting down, Whentuhmon yawned softly and sighed. Her power was being drained because she had renounced her Deva-ship. A tall pillar of golden light erupted around her and her form started changing, becoming smaller and smaller until she was only a head taller than Terriermon. The column disappeared and a brown and blue puppy lay on the ground. Her ears were long and rabbit-like, tipped with spiky blue markings. Each of her eyes was a different colour (one blue and one green) and this reminded Rika strongly of her own dog, Blizzard. This, in turn, reminded her of her Grandmother and she felt a terrible pain in her chest. But she had no time to think about what had happened in the past…she would grieve for Seiko another day. The puppy before her had a long tail, which ended in a strange blue, machine-like claw. Her paws were also blue tipped and she had blue markings under both her eyes. Her chest was a soft, pale beige colour and her fur a chocolate brown. 

Jeri's D-Arc started glowing brightly and when she lifted it, it bathed the puppy in golden light. A small image of Leomon formed above the screen and he nodded at Jeri before bursting into a million tiny pieces. The info display on Jeri's D-Arc opened out and the puppy's details appeared. 

"Remoraemon," Jeri stammered. "A data animal Digimon. Her special attacks are Rejuvi Tail and Sonic Howl. I…I think she's my knew partner." She stared down at Remoraemon, who smiled and nodded.

"I believe so," she agreed. Jeri was suddenly beaming happily, tears rushing down her face. She grabbed Remoraemon and hugged her tightly. 

"Oh, I promise I won't let you down! Leomon taught me so much about being a Tamer and I promise I'll be stronger." She was practically strangling the poor puppy and it wasn't until Takato touched her shoulder awkwardly, that she let her go. 

"Weird," Rika muttered to Ryo. "That makes two Devas to join our group. Think it mans anything?" Ryo shrugged.

"Dunno. Maybe." All the Tamers and Digimon suddenly froze in horror at the sound of a calm, slow clapping. Rika cried out in pain and grabbed her head. It felt as if someone had hit her with a two by four. There was a deafening ringing in her ears and her head felt like it would rip in two. 

"Well done. I must say I am quite impressed." The voice rang out around them and the Tamers looked around nervously. Remoraemon growled angrily. 

"What do you want, Vahimermon?" 

"Only to congratulate you…" Said the voice. A pale yellow figure appeared above the Tamers, sitting cross-legged in the sky. He was floating up and down slightly in the breeze, his entire body radiating with power. Remoraemon hopped away from Jeri and snarled angrily, all the other Digimon tensing up as well. The Digimon above them simply smiled, his intentions unclear. Rika was still holding her head, as if the very presence of this Digimon caused her extreme mental pain. Who was this new Deva? And more importantly, what was he? Friend or Foe?

*~*~*~*~*~*

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Another Cliffy!!!! I'm SO evil! 

Kaede: Oh, please, you're about as evil as soggy noodles! 

Oh great, you just had to open your big mouth! Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Keade…my split personality. 

Kaede: Her better half I can assure you. 

Ugh! I have to go, sorry for making the chappy so short and lame, but I ran outta time…

Kaede: And mind of course. 

Shut up! Bye everyone!


	15. Desperate Times call for Desperate Measu...

Hi all! Its me again!!! Miss me? Sorry bout the cliffy but I had to keep up the suspense! Lol. Anywho…

Kaede: oh for heavens _sake_! Just shut up and start the story already!!

sticks out her tongue meany. Leave me alone! Fine, and on with the show!

Kaede: What a freak…

Chapter 15 

Desperate times call for Desperate Measures

Vahimermon was watching the Tamers almost lazily from his high position above them. His body was pale yellow and he looked like a sort of gentle cross between a dog and a monkey. The colour on his arms faded slowly to white, starting at the wrist and ending at the fingertips, which were pure. His long, feline tail did the same, fading at the tip to white. There was a small green pendant on his forehead and his eyes were a deep, navy and sapphire blue. His ears were shaped like Impmon's and his face was completely white, the yellow around it making the white look like a mask. A long ribbon-like strip of silky material hung from his left wrist; wrapped twice around it, hanging down in two pieces. His chest was white and he had white at the tips of his toes. Ryo, who had knelt down to try and help Rika to her feet, glared up at the new Deva.

"What are you doing to her?" He yelled. Vahimermon turned his gaze slowly to Ryo and then to Rika. His eyes widened slightly and he smiled.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. A moment please…" He floated down towards them and when he was close enough to the ground, he uncrossed his legs and stood on his feet. The intense power he was creating dimmed slightly now that he wasn't using it too fly and the air around them - which seemed to have been shivering in Vahimermon's presence – calmed down. The instant his feet had touched the snowy floor, Rika's eyes snapped open and she was able to stand again. She looked up at Vahimermon, her breathing still a little heavy and uneven. 

"Please forgive me," he said, bowing his head too her. "A mere slip in my concentration. I quite forgot about the fact that I had linked my mind to yours." Rika stared at him as if she thought he were insane.

"You did _what_?" She exclaimed. 

"I linked my mind to yours. An easy process actually. You see, those visions you had were actually my own. Merely what I was seeing transferred to your mind and therefore to your eyes. Do you understand?"  

"Are you telling me you were the one that showed me the river…and the three Deva?"  Rika asked. Vahimermon nodded, clearly happy that she understood so easily.

"Precisely. And I must apologize once again. I believe you almost drowned the second time I showed a vision. I was quite unaware of the fact that you were underwater." Before Rika could respond, Takato butted in, stepping between her and Vahimermon.

"Wait a minute. Aren't you a Deva? Why aren't you attacking us?" He said suspiciously. Vahimermon held Takato's gaze before sighing softly. 

"It is true, I am a Deva, yes. But, unlike the others, I am not a mindless killing machine. You _could_ say I was a flaw in the program." 

"What do you mean a flaw?" Henry asked. Vahimermon sat down in the snow and crossed his legs again, folding his arms in thought. He shut his eyes and bowed his head. 

"When the Sovereign created us, they were filled with pure anger and hatred. This is why the Devas are all Virus types. Evil Digimon designed to destroy. I was the final Deva created, so when I came into being, the hatred the Sovereign passed to us was no more. There was not enough to make me evil and thus I abandoned my brothers. I have no desire to mindlessly destroy you humans and your partners."

"That's why you helped us, right?" Alice asked. Vahimermon nodded before continuing.

"I was not the only flaw in the Sovereign's plan however. There was one other who did not receive the virus. Whentuhmon was the Deva created before me, but because she still had the final remains of the evil Deva power, the Sovereign were able to take it away from her, which is why she is now a rookie once more." Jeri stooped down and lifted Remoraemon into her arms. 

"So she's a good Digimon like you?" She asked. He nodded and stood up. 

"Come, I will explain everything to you once we are safe. I believe you were headed for the Distorted Village? A very good place to hide…shall we?" Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked towards the staircase. The Tamers watched him go, all slightly apprehensive.

"Do you think we can trust him?" Kenta asked.

"Yeah. I mean, what kind of Deva just walks up to you and says 'high, my name's Vahimermon and I wanna be your best friend'?" Kazu added. 

"I'm not too sure myself, but I guess we don't have a choice…" Henry said, folding his arms thoughtfully. Rika shook her head and started walking after Vahimermon. The Tamers looked at each other before running after her.

"He's telling the truth," she said, not turning to look at them, choosing rather to walk on. 

"How could you possibly know that?" Alice asked. Rika shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dunno; I just do. I can sort of feel it. I know it sounds weird, but I think we can trust him. After all, he won't be the first Deva to have joined us." She looked at Lopmon and Remoraemon to make her point more clear. Takato glanced at Henry, who in turn, looked at Ryo. They all shrugged and Takato grinned. 

"Well, if he really _is_ telling the truth, then we have one less Deva to worry about, don't we." 

"Precisely," Ryo nodded. "So, lets catch up to him before he disappears." The Tamers hurried after Vahimermon, walking directly towards the spiraling stairway. 

"Vahimermon, Remoraemon mentioned a new form of digivolution, have you got any idea what it might be?" Takato was sitting with the rest of the Tamers in the Distorted Castle. Vahimermon had told them about exiling himself from the Devas and following them around the Digital World. He had also given them a piece of very upsetting news…Tuzeremon was alive. According to Vahimermon, the Tamers hadn't really destroyed him because his body hadn't been fully manifested in the real world when they had beaten him. 

"A new form of digivolution you say? Hmm…I have heard tales of a legendary digivolution, but that is only a myth. Perhaps you meant the double digivolution, Remoraemon?" She nodded at Vahimermon and he put his head in his hand in thought. 

"Yes, a truly powerful digivolution and almost impossible to accomplish." There was a collective groan at this.

"Almost impossible?" Henry asked. "You mean it has been done before?" Vahimermon nodded. 

"Once, years ago, the digital world was ravaged by a terrible virus. It took a physical form and started destroying the Digital World. Legend tells of four Digimon that combined to become one unstoppable super being. Together, they destroyed the virus, but not without being destroyed in the process. The digivolution drains you of all energy…they were lost along with the virus." He looked around at the Tamers and Digimon, who were all watching him intently, listening raptly to his tale. He smiled and waved his hand and the air around them started to fuzz before the entire area changed and they were sitting in mid air. Below them, was a huge temple, surrounded by a lush forest and a wide river. 

"Wow…" Jeri whispered.

"It's beautiful," Alex agreed. Vahimermon spread his arms and the Tamers floated down to the soft grass. 

"This is the Temple built in recognition to the four Digimon that saved our world. Long ago it looked like this; beautiful…magnificence in a solid form. But now…" He clicked his fingers and the Temple blurred and when it became visible once more, it was in ruins. "It is here that Digimon once came to train, to learn the art of the double digivolution. None succeeded. Now that the Temple is no more, it will be near impossible to learn." Vahimermon clicked his fingers again and the Tamers were back in the Distorted Castle. It had merely been an image and Vahimermon told them this. 

"Is the real Temple far from here?" Alice asked. Vahimermon glanced at her and nodded.

"The Temple lies on the forth level of the Digital World; the only way to gain access is to pass a gruesome test. No Digimon has been allowed into the Temple's realm for over a hundred Digital years."

"Do you think if we went to train there we might stand a chance against the sovereign?" Rika asked seriously. 

"It would be possible, but very difficult. You intend to go there?" He asked. She nodded and the Tamers all gave approving comments. 

"Very well, I will lead you there if you wish. Get some sleep tonight, it is a very long and grueling journey." The Tamers got up and walked up the huge Grand Stairway in the front of the Castle. Rika had never been here before so she simply followed the others to the bedrooms. 

"We'll have to use two rooms. There are too many of us for just one room," Ryo said, opening two doors directly opposite each other. As he stepped into one door, the sky suddenly became dark and lamps flickered to light along the halls. Rika yawned and followed Ryo, Alex, Alice and Henry into one room while the others took the room opposite them. It had been a long day. The battle and long walk had caught up with them now and the soft beds were very inviting. There were a few calls of "Goodnight!" across the hall before it became silent again. Rika curled herself up under two blankets and sighed softly, allowing her eyes to drift shut. 

"Do you think we'll be able to get through the test?" Said a voice. Rika's eyes shot open and, without moving, turned her eyes towards Alice and Henry, who were having a whispered conversation. 

"Sure. We have our partners with us and there's nothing we can't do when we work together," Henry replied. 

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I guess I'm just a little nervous. Living with my grandfather, I never really had a chance to get close to kids my own age; we move around a lot you see. I've never had a chance to work with a group…"

"I'm sorry," Henry whispered. "But you'll see, we might make a lot of mistakes on the way, but we always manage to do what we need to in the end. Don't worry about it; you'll be fine. We look out for each other and if no one's there for you, I'll be there, ok?" Rika smiled and shut her eyes again. She was sure that Henry wouldn't want her listening to his 'private conversation' with Alice. Actually, when she thought about it, Henry spoke to Alice a lot like Ryo spoke to herself. This made her smile again; Alice had found a friend she could rely on and she wasn't ever going to lose him. 

"Wake up, we have a long journey ahead of us." Rika groaned and swatted at the hand that was shaking her shoulder. 

"Go away, Ryo!" She said angrily, rolling onto her side.

"My dear girl, I am _not_ Ryo. Now wake up!" Rika felt a heavy blow to her mind and she shot out of bed. Her eyes were wide with the shock, but she instantly knew who had awoken her. 

"Oh," she mumbled tiredly. "It's you, Vahimermon." He smiled at her and nodded.

"Quite, now come along. The others are waiting downstairs." She grumbled grumpily but slipped out of the warm bed and followed him downstairs to where the Tamers were waiting for her.

"Sleep well, Rika?" Jeri asked. Rika shrugged and turned to Vahimermon. 

"How long will it take us to get to the Temple?" 

"If we move quickly…about three days," he replied.

"And if we fly?" Alex asked.

"It will cut the time in half," Vahimermon said simply. 

"Is the test really as hard as you said, Vahimermon?" Alice asked. He nodded and she sighed. Henry gave her a reassuring look and she relaxed a little. 

"Well, let's get going. We have a long trip ahead of us," Takato said cheerfully. The Tamers all nodded and left the Distorted Castle. The stairway in this area only went one level in both directions, so they would have to find a different one in the level below them. 

When they reached the bottom of the stairway, the Tamers found themselves in a beautiful forest that looked like the front of a Christmas card. Hundreds of tress were covered with fresh, white snow and the moist ground beneath them was almost untouched by the frozen weather. 

"Wow…" Suzy said excitedly. "It's beautiful!"  

"Yeah…" Ai agreed. Mako pouted, making a quiet comment about it being mushy, girl's stuff. 

Jeri giggled at them and strolled into the forest, her hand linked with Takato's.

"Amazing. It's almost as if the forest is calming the snowstorms. Nothing has been harmed or frozen here," Alice whispered, as if it were a crime to speak loudly in such a beautiful place. 

"Maybe it's an enchanted forest," Ryo suggested. 

"I wouldn't be surprised; in the Digital World anything goes," Henry agreed. Rika looked around the forest and a memory flashed in her mind. She had been here before, with Renamon. After she had met up with Ryo the last time she had come here, she and Renamon had gotten lost and had somehow arrived here. Back then it had been just as beautiful and magical. She wondered briefly if the lavender trees were still intact after the river had exploded the way it had. 

"Which way, Vahimermon?" She asked. He pointed deep into the forest, towards a place were it became a little dark. 

"We must journey through there. The road gets overgrown, we can't fly here," he explained.

"Well then I guess we're hoofin' it," Ryo said with a smile. 

"It'll be nice to walk in such a beautiful place," Jeri sighed. The Tamers followed Vahimermon once more, this time into the depths of the forest. They wound in and out of the trees; sometimes walking beside the sparkling river, other times deep in the forest. By the time it was dark, it seemed like they had made absolutely no progress, but Vahimermon insisted that they were very close to the next stairway.

"We should rest. If we fly tomorrow, we will reach the test by midday. You will need all your energy if you are to succeed," he said. Kazu yawned when the light disappeared and the night became slightly cooler. It wasn't cold here, just a little chilly. The Tamers unrolled their sleeping bags and blankets and settled for the night. It had been an uneventful day, but two long walks in two days were enough to wear anyone out. 

"Hey Wildcat?" Ryo whispered, when he was sure the others were asleep. She turned to look at him, being careful to be quiet.

"Yeah?" 

"Are you sure Vahimermon is telling us the truth? I mean, what if he's leading right into a trap? I know you said you can feel it, but what if he's messing with your head?" Rika smiled at his concern and shook her head.

"Don't worry, Ryo. Vahimermon is for real. He's not trying to trick us. Think about it, if he wanted to kill me, all he would have to do is concentrate and he could short circuit my brain," she replied. Ryo watched her for a moment before nodding. 

"You're right. Goodnight Pumpkin."

"Goodnight, Ryo." 

"Alright, Digi-Modify! Hyper Wings activate!" A giant set of shining white wings sprouted out of Growlmon's back and he took flight along with Bueramon, Cyberdramon, Taomon and Beelzemon. 

"Fly towards that mountain range! Keep your course steady and we will be there before nightfall." Vahimermon was sitting cross-legged in Taomon's Talisman Spell dome. Rika looked down to the passing scenery below them. They were flying over a snowy valley in which hundreds of Jagamon and Frigimon were playing and fighting. They had found the stairway early in the morning and were now only a flight and a test away from learning how to double Digivolve. This was their only chance to beat the sovereign and they weren't going to pass it up. 

The five Digimon flyers were tearing up the sky as they flew towards a mountain that was shaped like a hut. It was round and jagged at spots, with misty clouds hanging over it's peaks. 

"If we travel at this speed we will get there in a few short hours," Vahimermon said, clearly impressed. And he was right, including several stops to allow the Digimon to rest, the flight took them no more than four hours. When they landed at the foot of the stairs, a pink Digimon carrying a long spear greeted them. He was no more than a ball of fur with white, tattered and stitched wings. 

"Hello there, yup yup. Are you here to gain entrance to the Temple?" Takato looked at him a little confused before he held out his D-Power. 

"Piximon. A magical data type Digimon." 

"That's right, yup yup. I am Piximon, guardian of the Temple gates. If you wish to gain entrance you must complete my test." 

"We'll do anything we have to," Rika said determinately. Piximon nodded and waved his spear.

"If you are here to enter the Temple then you must first prove your strength yup yup. Awaken my slumbering friend! We have visitors!" The earth rumbled and shook and a huge crack split the earth. A massive Digimon started forcing his way out of the crack and when he was fully arisen, he roared loudly and snarled at the Tamers. He was twice the size of Zhuqiaomon and looked twice as mean. His body was bulky and incredibly muscular and he looked somewhat like a spiked turtle. His hide was made of razor sharp spikes and his long swishing tail was covered in metal blades. He had curving teeth that protruded out of his mouth like knives. His body seemed to be made rocks and boulders and he had bright green eyes. 

"W…what is that thing?" Kenta whimpered. 

"The only thing blocking our way. Lets get it!" Rika held out her D-Arc and Ryo, Takato, Henry, Alice and Alex all did the same.

"Bio-merge Activate!!"

Sorry it took so long for me to post this, but I've been forbidden to use the computer during the week L. Sad isn't it. 

Kaede: Yes, almost as sad as the length of this chapter. Only six pathetic pages?

What? I don't have to make them _all _ten pages or more…

Kaede: Whatever, just don't let it happen again!

Meany…


	16. Testing my patience

Hi again. Sorry but I wanted to write the next chapter to my other story (Mistaken Tragedy) before I posted this one, not to mention I've had exams and a week long visit to my gran. No computer for five weeks in a row! I thought I would DIE! Anywho, I'm back now and the story will continue!

Kaede: Oh would you just shut up! No one wants to hear about your pathetic life story! Just start writing already! Of all the people I could have gotten stuck with _you_ had to be my other half!

Hey! If I recall correctly _you_ are _my_ other half!

Kaede: Puh! Whatever…

PS! The story may get a little weird and kinda sci-fi in this next chappy but it's only in this one and in one paragraph…I promise!

Chapter 16 

Trying my Patience

"Bio-merge Activate!" The Tamers merged with their partners and in a blinding flash Sakuyamon, Justimon, SacreAngewomon, Gallantmon, Megagargomon and Anubismon were standing in fighting stance before the huge turtle-like Digimon. Jeri, who had run to a safe place with the remaining Tamers, held out her D-Arc and the info display screen appeared.

"Warinmon. A Mega level virus, animal type Digimon. Special attacks: Stone Barrage and Deadly Carapace. Oh my…" She looked up at Warinmon apprehensively as he took a huge step towards the Megas.

"No one has defeated me for a hundred years and for a hundred more years, not one shall pass!" He roared and charged at them, each Digimon taking flight. Gallantmon, who was unable to fly, jumped to the side.

"Let's get our wings spread, Guilmon!" Takato yelled.

"Right, Takato!"

"Crimson Digivolution!" An egg of pure light formed around them and when it disintegrated, Gallantmon Crimson mode stood there, his ten wings spread wide. In a burst of speed they took off and joined the others in the air.

"Hmm…impressive, yup yup!" Piximon was watching from a high podium, his staff floating beside him. Sakuyamon spun in the air and swiped her staff around.

"Amethyst wind!" Her hurricane of amethyst petals soared at Warinmon cutting into his head and eyes. He roared in pain as the petals tore at his eyes and the spikes on his back started to glow.

"Stone Barrage!" The spikes broke free and shot up at the Megas. There were millions of them, coming from all directions. Megagargomon intercepted those that were flying towards him self and Anubismon with a "Mega Barrage". Justimon had used his sword to defend himself and Sakuyamon had used her Twin Blades of Beauty shield.

"This guy is _really_ trying my patience!" She growled angrily. 

"That's it, now it gets serious." Gallantmon charged towards Warinmon, who seemed to be sprouting brand new horns, his sword held out. "Invincible Sword!" He slashed his sword downwards and it released an almighty roll of lightning and fire. The attack hit Warinmon full force just as Megagargomon and Anubismon sent their "Mega Barrage" and "Pyramid Power" attacks at him. The attacks all exploded on him at once, but when the smoke and dust cleared, he seemed only half fazed.

"Is that the best you've got?" He laughed.

"Not by a long shot!" Rika snapped. She held her staff out in front of her self and drew a pentagon in the sky, huge dragons forming at the each point. "Dragon Helix!" As they had done before, the dragons shot forward, creating a long tunnel with their intertwining bodies. Sakuyamon looked at Justimon purposefully and catching on to her tag team idea, he moved yet again into her spot behind the pentagon.

"Justice Burst!" His attack flew down the tunnel and joined the dragons, creating one massive dragon made of red, yellow and amethyst fire. It roared and released a huge blast of fire from its mouth, which connected with Warinmon. This in itself did him what appeared to be considerable damage, but when the dragon itself hit him full force, it seemed like he would explode from the impact.

"Ha! Alright!" Ryo threw his hands in the air in triumph, but his moment of distraction cost him dearly.

"Deadly Carapace!" A ball of rock and energy hit him in the back and Justimon was sent flying, his data scrambling as he fell to the ground.

"Ryo!" Rika flew down to him but it was too late. He and Monodramon separated and lay facedown on the earthy ground.

"Deadly Carapace! Deadly Carapace!" Rika felt her rage building as Megagargomon and Anubismon, trying to dodge the attacks, fell too.

"Sacred Divinity!"

"Quo Vadis!" The attacks hit Warinmon in the back but his strong hide protected him. "Deadly Carapace!" This attack took SacreAngewomon out and left Gallantmon badly injured. Rika was shaking with fury as she held her hand over Ryo's chest protectively.

"Stone Barrage!" Gallantmon cut most of them down, but there were too many for him to handle alone. Falling to the ground with a massive thud, he reverted back to his original form of Takato and Guilmon. This was the last straw. He couldn't get away with this! She would make him suffer!

She would make him pay!!

"Hmm, very good. You have lasted longer than any opponent for a hundred years. But you have still failed, yup yup!" Sakuyamon stood and looked up at Piximon.

"Not yet we haven't."

A bright light covered the entire area and an odd calm swept over them all. Sakuyamon floated up gently as if she were being lifted by imaginary arms. She hung limply in the air, her eyes shut and her mouth slightly open in an expression of awe. Tiny amethyst petals drifted in the calm breeze caressing the bodies of her fallen comrades, giving them strength to rise once more. The Tamers and Digimon scrambled to their feet and watched in fascination as Sakuyamon slowly started revolving high in the air.

Jeri and the others came over and watched as well, all rendered completely speechless. Even Warinmon was watching in wonder as Sakuyamon suddenly started glowing a pale, gentle blue. An amethyst flower formed around her, the petals creating a protective shield. The leaves became intricately patterned and vines sprouted slowly from the flower's stem, weaving around the area. Inside the flower, Rika and Renamon had separated and Sakuyamon floated between them. Kyubimon and Taomon appeared beside her and they gradually disintegrated, their data pulling into Sakuyamon. Her appearance started changing as Rika and Renamon looked on in awe. They turned to each other and, smiling lightly, both nodded.

A bright light burst from within the flower's closed petals and the flower started to bloom. It opened tauntingly slowly, opening out into a beautiful rose, the amethyst colouring fading to a deep, luscious red. Small water droplets hung on the petals, shimmering in the light that hung around the graceful figure that stood at the center of the rose, masking its appearance. Ryo gazed up at the beautiful woman that stepped out of the light, his hand shaking as he held out his D-Arc.

"Sakuyamon Priestess mode. It says she's an unknown vaccine type Digimon…her attacks are the same except for…Rice Cord."

Sakuyamon was floating elegantly in the air, her long golden staff held in her hand at her side. The tip was covered in strings of diamonds, creating a sort of pompom effect. She wore a long, flowing crimson skirt that was worn up just below her bust. Two thick black belts were wrapped around her stomach to hold the skirt in place over the pure white blouse she wore under it. The sleeves were long and hung out like wings, almost like the shirt Yuna wore in Final Fantasy X. The skirt was split at her calves, with thin strings crossing over the split to keep it halfway together. Her long silver-white hair was tied back into two very low ponytails and she had two strips of hair hanging over her shoulders. The golden mask she wore covered the upper half of her face and the three purple diamonds on the mask were shining dark against the bright gold. Her body was shimmering in a very pale blue light and as she stood there, her hair and skirt blowing slightly in the breeze she looked down at Warinmon with an expression of calm anger.

"You have hurt my friends for the last time…" She swiped her staff in the air so it was pointing at him. "It's over."  Warinmon watched her almost apprehensively as she floated down towards him. Her hair was flowing out around her body and her skirt was rustling in the wind. Touching down lightly, Sakuyamon watched him as he grunted angrily, scratching his feet on the ground as if charging up to attack. With a loud roar, he ran at her, the long spike on his nose lowered for attack. She made no move to flee or even defend, choosing rather to simply stand there and wait for him.

The impact was deafening, shaking the ground and tearing it up as the pressure between them grew. Warinmon was pushing at her with all the strength he could muster, but Sakuyamon didn't even seem to feel it. There was an odd scratching noise, as if a radio had lost its reception and Warinmon was suddenly thrown back by some unseen force. Sakuyamon lifted ever so slightly off the ground and dashed forward, her fast flight causing a wake to form behind her in the sand. She drew back her staff and as she came up to Warinmon, who was still struggling to get up off his back, she slashed it at him.

"Scepter Dash!" She yelled and the end of her staff burst into amethyst fire, which burned straight through Warinmon's hide. A long crack made its way over his back and the tough stone covering his body split and crumbled. He roared in pain and tried to run out of the way, but it was too late; Sakuyamon was already charging up for her most powerful attack. Warinmon managed to get to his feet and glared up at her.

"Deadly carapace!" He launched a brittle ball of rock at her but she simply swiped her staff at it and it broke apart.

"I hope you've got the gate ready, because I'm going through no matter what!" The diamonds at the end of her staff started rustling and suddenly stood upright in all directions. They started spinning faster and faster until they were nothing more than a blur. Sakuyamon tossed her staff in the air and it spun once before she caught it at its base and pointed it straight down at Warinmon.

"Rice Cord!" The diamonds shot out of the spinning blur like they were being issued from a machine gun. Each one hit Warinmon at full speed and embedded itself into his hide. Smiling lightly, Sakuyamon held out her hand, put her fingers together and casually…clicked them. There was a moment of silence as the diamonds started glowing brightly, but seconds later, each of the hundreds of them exploded causing a huge mushroom bomb effect over the field. Sakuyamon warped to her friends and created a "Twin Blades of Beauty" shield around them to protect them from further harm.

As the dust settled, Warinmon collapsed to the ground, his eyes drooping and his data scrambling unstably. Sakuyamon turned to him and raised her staff once more, but just as she was about to use her final attack, Piximon appeared before her.

"Excellent, yup yup. Truly a marvelous display of power. You and your friends may enter the Temple if you wish." A little startled by his sudden appearance, it took Sakuyamon several seconds to register what he had said before she finally de-digivolved and Rika fell back onto the ground, heaving an exhausted sigh.

"Well, I'm definitely glad _that's_ over." Ryo laughed lightly and bent over to pull her to her feet as Piximon flew forward, holding a golden pendant out to her. It hung on a long, thin gold chain and there was a rune symbol on it, the likes of which none of them had ever seen.

"What's this?" She asked curiously looking down at the tiny circle. "Don't tell me we just fought that huge monster for that thing."

"Hey! I resent that!" Warinmon said indignantly.

"No, no. This will simply grant you and anyone with you safe passage to the Temple, yup yup." Rika glanced at the pendant and then at Piximon and she took the pendant, slipping it around her neck where it hung beside the necklace Ryo had given her. 

"So you mean we can go through now?" Takato asked.

"You can pass through the gate from anywhere with that pendant, yup yup. All you have to do is hold it up to the real world, it will do the rest." He flew aside and motioned for Rika to do what he had told her to do. She looked at him cautiously before holding the pendant out towards the Real World floating high above them. The rune on the pendant started glowing brightly and within seconds it shot off the golden pendant and hung in the air.

"Whoa…" Kazu muttered as a portal opened up around the pendant.

"Way awesome…" Kenta agreed.

"Hey, would you two bird brains get your head out of the clouds! We're going in!" Alice called back at them. They were started out of their awe and both gave angry yells after the Tamers as they ran to catch up.

Rika stepped through the portal behind Takato, who had seemed to reclaim his leadership from her. She wasn't entirely sure when it had happened, but it was clear he wanted to be their 'fearless leader' again. It didn't bother her in any way since this meant that she could now concentrate on her own problems and let him worry about the group. Sure, she knew she was being selfish, but she deserved to be didn't she? It seemed like everything that went bad in the group happened to _her_. It was so damn unfair!

"Hey, you okay, Rika?" She jumped slightly and looked up to find Alex looking down at her almost worriedly. Rika tossed her head confidently and looked away from her angrily.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, her last statement dripping with sarcasm.

"You just looked a little lost for a second. You sure you're okay? All of this is a lot for one person to handle on their own…"

"I can _handle_ it just fine, thank you!" She snapped. Alex looked a little startled at this, but then she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ok, sorry for caring. Next time I won't bother." She walked off, away from the group to explore the area on her own.

"Alexis?"

"_Alex_, Koronamon! What's up?"

"I really think you should…"

"I know what I have to do. It's just…she won't let me do it!" Alex gave a frustrated sigh and leaned against a tree as Koronamon appeared beside her. "Every time I try and help she blows her top! I swear she's almost as bad as my father!"

"You'll just have to keep trying. After all, we just arrived out of nowhere. You can't blame her, or any of them for that matter, for not trusting us." He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her lightly.

"Thanks, pal. You're right. I wouldn't trust me either if I just suddenly appeared out of nowhere offering to help. It doesn't make much sense." Kicking out at a stone, it flew into the bushes and she jumped when she heard a pained yelp. Koronamon instantly poised himself for battle and Alex reached for her D-Arc.

"Show yourself!" She hissed. The voice had sounded familiar. When no one came out, Koronamon leapt into the trees, appearing seconds later with a struggling Calumon and Ai in his hands. Alex couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, I see we have some junior spies on our hands here. Put them down, Koronamon," she said, chuckling lightly at their terrified faces.

"We weren't spying on you, honest! Everyone's looking for you." Ai gave her a petrified glance before scooping Calumon up into her arms. "Please don't hurt us!" Alex laughed a little harder at this.

"Hurt you? Why on earth would I want to _hurt_ you? I'm here to help out, remember?" Ai gazed up at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes. She visibly relaxed and put Calumon down again.

"Oh, well uh…the others are waiting by the Temple. We should get going." Alex raised an eyebrow at her and grinned.

"I thought you said they were _all_ looking for us… So you _were_ spying! Ha, I knew it." She smiled down at her and lifted the little girl into her arms easily. Like Suzy, Ai and Mako were only six at the time and they were all still relatively small in size.

"Who where you talking about?" Ai asked as Alex carried her up the long flight of stairs leading to the temple.

"Well, you were listening in. Didn't you catch on?" She replied. Ai blushed at this and didn't ask again. When they got to the top, the other Tamers were waiting outside the Temple for them. It didn't look any where near as bad as Vahimermon had made it appear. The forest below them was lush and green and although it was uninhabited, it looked like it could easily sustain life. There was a beautiful river that led off to a rumbling waterfall. The sun was shining here as if the blizzards and snow couldn't reach this place.

"Welcome to Nahrihman! Temple of Creation." The Tamers all turned to look at Vahimermon who was floating slightly off the ground, his legs crossed as if he were sitting in the air. "Come, we must begin your training at once. The first steps into power are always the most important. Remember, power can only be achieved through diligence and this requires a sound mind and constant vigilance in ones own actions."

"Ha, guess that rules you two bozos out," Rika said, smirking at Kazu and Kenta. They crossed their arms and huffed angrily. Vahimermon cleared his throat angrily and they fell silent. They had walked right into the first chamber of the Temple and the inside was nothing like the outside. On the outside, it had appeared crumbled and decayed, but on the inside it was a magnificent hall carved out of what appeared to be nothing but marble. The floors were a deep green and the walls and ceiling were a brilliant, shiny white. It all seemed as if it had been polished only moments before they had walked in. Torches lined the walls deep into the huge chamber, illuminating the many statues and carvings of Digimon. At the far end of the room stood a massive altar, surrounded by four huge statues. These were even more magnificent than all the others combined. The Digimon they represented were standing in proud, triumphant stances, each carved with incredible detail. The stone they were made of was a light brown that seemed almost gold beneath the polish. Tall torches stood around the altar and two hung from the stone tablet that stood in the very center of the room, just in front of the four Digimon statues. The room was dimly lit, but sunshine was poring in through the open double doors that, from the inside, looked like freshly polished gold and silver.

A hush had fallen over the group as they stood there, taking in the glorious room. Rika looked around her, her breath catching in her chest. It was so beautiful and yet at the same time, there was an almost eerie feeling to the place. Almost like a great power dwelled here and it demanded deep respect. Taking a few more steps into the room, Rika suddenly found herself turning her head away from a bright light that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She heard a shocked gasp behind her, which she guessed had come from Jeri and then there was the rushing sound of a strong breeze as it whipped around her, pushing her towards the stone tablet. As she drew nearer, her legs acting of their own accord, Rika suddenly realized were the light was coming from. The pendant around her neck had started glowing and now as she came within a few feet of the tablet the cryptic writing suddenly lit up as well. The light ran across the tablet, tracing the words on it as if someone were rewriting everything. She felt another presence beside her and knew it was Renamon.

"Let all he who step into this Temple be aware of the dangers he seeks. Power comes with sacrifice of four, all victories require loss," Renamon read. The writing was in an ancient digital script that no human could ever read. More writing appeared and Renamon continued. The other Tamers had come tentatively forward as well to listen.

"If he who stands before this temple wishes to claim this power, choose now." A hole sunk into the wall the perfect size for the pendant to fit into. Rika looked down at the thing and as she did, it lifted itself out from beneath her shirt and hung in the air, pulling towards the tablet ever so slightly.

"What does that mean?" She asked, turning her head to look at Vahimermon. "Sacrifice of four?" He hung his head gravely and sighed.

"This form of digivolution requires a massive amount of energy. It usually destroys any who attempt it. But there has been, as I told you before, only one known event where this type of digivolution was achieved. Those Digimon all died; this Temple was created to honour their bravery when they rose to defend the Digital World." The Tamers gazed up at the statues as he spoke. The four Digimon were different to any they had ever seen. They were each glowing a different colour: white, blue, red and green. Rika looked back down at her pendant and then turned her eyes to the hole in the tablet.

"If this is what I have to do to stop the Sovereign from hurting anyone else…then I don't care what happens to me." She took the pendant in her hand and turned it over a few times as she thought to herself. According to the writing on the pillar, she needed three others. She knew Renamon would help her no matter what, but what about the other two? She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew before she looked that it was Ryo.

"I'm in," he said brightly, as if it were no more dangerous than taking a walk to the park and back.

"Count us in too." Takato and Henry said.

"If one of us does this, we all do it," Jeri said smiling at Rika from where she was standing beside Takato. The Tamers all nodded their agreement and Rika smiled.

"Right. Then let's get started." She held the pendant out to the hole and fitted it in. There was a bright flash and suddenly, what appeared to be electricity surged out of the pendant and traveled up the chain that was still around Rika's neck. There was no time for her to take it off and within seconds she was screaming in pain as the electricity pulsed through her body, moving up to Ryo, who still had his hand on her shoulder. At first she thought it was only herself that was screaming, but soon she realized that Renamon too was yelling in pain and even Cyberdramon was roaring in agony. Just as soon as it had started the surge of power stopped and Rika collapsed to her knees, the chain snapping as she fell. She was breathing heavily, one hand held up against the pillar for support. Takato and Henry both took tentative steps towards them and while Henry bent to make sure they were okay, Takato reached out to remove the pendant from the wall.

The instant he touched it, he too was shocked by the powerful wave or electricity, Guilmon, Henry and Terriermon being affected as well. Henry had let go of Rika the moment he realized he was going to be shocked. If he had been touching her she would have been electrocuted again and she wouldn't have survived that. Jeri cried out and rushed forward to pull Takato away from the pendant, but Alex caught her and held her back.

"Don't! You'll only get shocked too!" She said as she tried desperately to keep Jeri back. For such a small girl she was really strong when she was afraid. Alice too seemed like she desperately wanted to help Henry, but she had enough sense not to touch him as he yelled in anguish. But yet again, the electricity stopped just as suddenly as it had started. Rika, who had crawled away from Henry and Takato, was now leaning against Renamon, who was standing gingerly on her feet. Ryo was simply sitting there on the floor, his breathing, like Rika's, still very ragged. In fact it seemed almost as if they were breathing in unison… As Takato and Henry fell back, Jeri and Alice rushed forward to help them. Vahimermon simply stepped past them and took the pendant out of the stone tablet. The hole vanished instantly and the writing became dull once more.

"Hmm, interesting. So we have eight who possess the ability to digivolve…" He turned to Rika and held out the pendant to her. When she hesitated to take it, he smiled at her and shook his head.

"Don't worry. It's quite safe now." She reached up at took it, her hand shaking slightly.

"W…what happened?" Ryo stammered, his heart hammering in his chest.

"You have been granted the powers to study the Dual Digivolution. You, as I'm sure you noticed, were given the powers at the same time Rika was. This means that you will be training with her in the art. Takato and Henry are the other compatible pair. You, along with your Digimon, must train to Digivolve together. Become one being when you were once four." Rika looked up at him incredulously.

"You meant to tell me that little trip we had to the electric chair was just a way of seeing who we would Digivolve with?" She almost yelled. Ryo was watching her in amazement as she fumed. It was almost like he could feel her anger bubbling below the surface of his own emotions. 

"I'm afraid so. It is the only way to transfer the knowledge to your minds." Rika was shivering angrily but she felt a wave of calm wash over her, drowning out her fury in one clean sweep.

_What the…_ She turned towards Ryo, some how knowing that it was he who had calmed her down. Of course this still made no sense since he was sitting on the opposite side of the hall. He was watching her incredulously but somehow seemed to know precisely what he had done because he gave her a questioning look as if to say "did I do that?". All Rika could do was nod. The shock of having her emotions controlled by someone else was quite unnerving. Vahimermon's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up at him.

"You have all had a long journey and have only recently faced two most grueling battles. I suggest you all get some rest. Feel free to explore the temple but take care not to get lost. You will find your rooms down that corridor." He motioned to a long hallway to his left that the Tamers had not noticed before. "I will meet you here tomorrow, good evening." With that, he disappeared. There was silence as the Tamers all simply stared at each other.

"Well…that was weird," Kazu muttered.

"For once I agree with you," Henry replied. Rika just shrugged lightly and walked off, choosing to take the corridor to the right.

"After everything that's happened nothing surprises me anymore," she said somewhat bitterly. Her form disappeared into the darkness of the corridor for a few seconds but as she walked deeper, torches along the walls lit themselves.

"Someone should go with her," Jeri said, watching Rika turn down another corridor.

"I'll go," Alice said, walking off as well. She ran after Rika, catching up with her two corridors later.

"Well," Ryo said, yawning softly and stretching his arms out wide. "I'm tired. See you guys in the morning."

"I'm gonna go sleep too," Jeri said tiredly. "Takato, will you walk with me? This place gives me the creeps…" Takato nodded and took her hand, leading her down the left corridor after Ryo. Remoraemon bounded after them, happily chasing imaginary butterflies. Alice and Koronamon, who had been standing away from the other Tamers, simply turned and walked towards the end of the hall, not even bothering to supply any kind of explanation.

"Well, I guess I'll go take a walk outside then, you wanna come too, Guilmon?" Henry asked as he and Terriermon walked towards the double doors, Ai, Mako and Suzy in tow with their own Digimon. Guilmon smiled happily before running after them.

"Can I come too?" Labramon asked.

"Of course!" Suzy said sweetly, waiting for Labramon to catch up before walking again. Renamon had disappeared some time ago, following Rika and Alice down the right corridor. 

"Fine! Leave us here alone then!" Kazu yelled.

"Yeah!" Kenta agreed. There was a dull silence as they simply stood there, alone in the dimly lit hall.

"Uh…wanna play some cards?" Kazu suggested.

"Sure."

Ryo yawned as he walked down the long corridor. Sighing with relief when he finally came to a row of doors, he reached out and tried to open the first one, but the handle burnt his hand like it were on fire. Yelping in pain, he pulled away and looked down at his hand. There was a round burn mark on it were he had touched the golden doorknob. He looked at the Victorian style mahogany door and frowned.

"What the hell…?" He muttered darkly. Irritated, he moved on to the next door, this time, reaching out and only touching the doorknob with the tip of his finger. This one burnt him too but he pulled away to quick for any lasting effects. Growling angrily he kicked out at the door, succeeding only in stubbing his toe painfully on the hard wooden surface. Grabbing his foot in pain, he hopped away from the door and collapsed to the floor, muttering angrily. Lifting his burnt hand, he flexed it, wincing slightly and mentally scolding himself for doing something so stupid.

"I just want to get some sleep!" He said heatedly. "Is that to much to ask?" A bright orange light was suddenly shining somewhere behind him so he looked up at the door he was leaning against. Words were being etched into the polished wood with what seemed to be fire. Getting cautiously to his feet, Ryo turned and watched as his name was spelled out on the door, followed by the words: _Sorry I burnt you. This is your room. _As soon as he had finished reading this, the words faded away leaving no trace of ever having been there. New words were now burning onto the door and Ryo's eyes widened when he saw what they were.

"Rika is _not_ gonna like this…" he said before sighing and walking into the room. He shut the door behind him, leaving the words _Ryo Akiyama & Rika Nonaka _clear for all to see.

Hello all. So, what did you think? Any good? Sorry about all the strange stuff that happened but I kinda come up with most of the stuff as I write. The only thing that I know for sure is the general idea of the plot and who the couples are. NOT gonna change that…

Kaede: You'd better not or you're gonna know first hand what it's like to be beaten up by yourself.

Uh…right… Well, anywho, review soon coz the next chappy will be along right after I post chapter four or five (whichever one I'm busy with now) of Mistaken Tragedy. Bye bye!

Kaede: Does anyone know the name of a good psychiatrist?

Hey! If I went to one of those you'd disappear!

Kaede: It's better than being stuck with _you_ all my life!


	17. Confessions of the Teenage Prodigies

Hello all! I have some bad news L. It's regarding my other story, Mistaken Tragedy. The entire thing got deleted off my computer! So if any of you are reading that story then I'm sorry but it's being discontinued… L I know, sad isn't it. But have no fear because I'm replacing it with another even better one. Very dark and, of course, it's a RA/RN. I just don't like the other couples; they're all so immature. You may notice that Kaede isn't making any snide remarks…it's because she's on holiday in Hawaii, without me! Stupid split personality! Oh well, I guess I get to write some more then!

Chapter 17 

Confessions of the Teenage Prodigies

Ryo looked around the room as Cyberdramon stepped inside before him. The entire place looked twice or maybe three times as large as the small corridor would allow but right now Ryo was far too tired to ask questions. The rich, royal blue carpet beneath his feet was soft and walking on it felt like floating. There were two, queen size four posters in the room made out of mahogany and red wood that was so well polished you could see your face in the posts. Deep purple-blue, silk hangings were pulled back from the posts to reveal huge, goose down comforters of only slightly lighter colouring. A Victorian dresser, big enough for two peoples' clothing, stood against one wall of the room, beside which hung a beautiful tapestry. Another mahogany door like the one leading in and out of the room was set in the wall opposite the dresser. This door, Ryo discovered, lead to the massive bathroom that had both an inset, swimming pool of a bath and shower with sandblasted glass walls.

When Ryo walked back into the room he set his shoes down at the edge of one of the beds and removed his jacket. The comforter had already been pulled back and he had to marvel at the fact that this was very much like a five star hotel. The instant his head touched the pillow all four of the lamps in the room dimmed, giving the entire room a peaceful glow. Pulling the blanket over himself, Ryo fell instantly asleep. Perhaps the long journey, rigorous battles and constant fear for Rika's life had finally caught up with him, but Ryo had a very strange dream that night…one he wouldn't understand for a while to come.

The corridor was dark ahead of him but as he walked torches suddenly flared into life. He was walking, strangely enough, with Alice and Renamon and he was talking to Alice about the weirdest thing: Himself.

"It's not like that between us and I wish people would stop assuming it was!" Ryo heard himself say in a voice that, although familiar, wasn't his own.

"Well, you two _are_ awfully close. It kind of promotes the idea," Alice said as she bent over to inspect an intricately designed, blue China Vase. It was standing on a mahogany table in front of a huge brass framed mirror. Ryo stopped walking and looked into the mirror and, had he had control over them, his eyes would have widened. But they weren't his eyes at all. They were, in fact, the bright, icy violet eyes of Rika Nonaka. As Ryo stared at her (or his) reflection he noticed that Rika looked irritated, tired and…scared? What on earth was she afraid of? He felt a shiver run up his…er, her spine and Rika turned away from the mirror as if the idea of looking at herself anymore terrified her.

"Ryo's my best friend, no more than that." Her voice was firm but Ryo couldn't help but wonder how truthful she was being. Personally he would have loved nothing more than for their relationship to develop into something different but Rika was a difficult girl to pursue. She was either oblivious to his attraction to her or she was just unwilling to respond. Either way, Ryo wasn't sure he could handle being 'just her friend' for very much longer. He wanted more…so much more.

"What does Ryo think of that?" Alice asked mischievously, standing up to look at Rika, who had now opened one of the many doors lining the corridor. It led to a weapons storage room and she seemed too interested in a golden crossbow to answer Alice's prying. Stepping into the room she picked up the bow and turned it over in her hands. The silver arrows were lying in their leather quiver against a black sword sheath that held a glimmering silver sword.

"I wonder if we'll use these while we're training…" she said thoughtfully. Alice placed her hands on her hips in an annoyed gesture.

"Quit changing the subject. _Why_ won't you let anyone in, Rika?" Rika put the crossbow down again and turned to Alice, her face holding a closed expression.

"I did. I let all of you in and look what it got you. Because of me, you're all being chased by the sovereign and their stupid cronies!" She turned away and folded her arms across her chest in a classis self-defense. "The last thing I need is someone important to me to be killed. Even if Ryo _does_ like me like that, which I doubt because he's made no move in that direction, I don't think I'd be able to accept him. If we did start…dating, the sovereign would find out how much he means to me and kill him first!" She suddenly bit her lip tightly, horrified that she'd broken her resolve not to say anything and blurted out all of her most intimate secrets to someone she barely knew. Alice was staring at her as if she were assessing her, which was making Rika feel rather uncomfortable.

"If the circumstances were different, if you weren't afraid he would die…would you accept him?" She asked slowly. Rika turned away and bit her lip. Ryo was waiting with baited breath, which he thought silly since it was only a dream…right? God, if she said yes!

"I…I don't know. Maybe. I can't really say for sure." Looking down the corridor Rika suddenly felt desperate for a shower and a warm bed. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning." She moved down the corridor but paused when she was half way. "Hey Alice."

"Yeah?"

"If you tell _anyone_ what I just told you, the sovereign will seem like harmless bunnies compared to me!" With that she walked away, Renamon trailing behind her.

Ryo sat up and looked around. Had that dream been real? It couldn't have…right? After all, Rika was the one with the weird psychic abilities, not him. Shaking his head he swung himself out of bed, but just as soon as he'd gotten up, his fatigue caught up with him and Ryo was forced to sit back down. Yawning widely and running his fingers through his hair he looked towards the door, wondering absently if Rika was really on her way to the room for a shower and some sleep. Just as he was about to lie back down he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Light, fast footsteps that reminded him of the quick step of Rika Nonaka. The sound stopped outside the door and he heard an irritated sigh before the door swung open to reveal none other than Rika. He stared at her as she walked into the room, Renamon appearing beside her. The door swung shut of it's own accord and Rika looked over at Ryo.

"I suppose you're quite pleased with the sleeping arrangements," she said tightly. Ryo smiled wanly and shrugged.

"I'm not disappointed if that's what you're saying." She snorted at him and stalked into the bathroom, clearly not in a good mood. He took this and the fact that she _had_ come for a shower and some sleep (just as he had predicted) as a sign that his dream had been real.

"I don't know what you're planning on wearing after your shower, Pumpkin, because there's nothing in that armoire," he called after her. The door stopped halfway from being shut and Rika poked her head out to look at him.

"How'd you know I was gonna…"

"Never mind," he said hastily before changing the subject. "Unless you're planning on traipsing around naked…which isn't such a bad thing." She frowned at his mischievous grin. "Then you better find something clean to wear before you go in there." Giving a frustrated groan she walked back into the room and over to the armoire. Flinging the doors open she was met with a cupboard full of nothing.

"I told you they were empty," Ryo said standing up and walking over. Rika gave an angry sort of silent scream before slamming the doors shut.

"God! All I want to do is take a shower and go to-"

"Sleep," Ryo finished.

"Uh…right," Rika said, looking at him awkwardly. How had he known? Deciding to ignore him for now she looked back at the armoire and slammed her fist against the wood in angry frustration. There was a rustling sound and the quiet sort of 'chink' of metal on metal that came from within the armoire and Rika and Ryo looked at each other before Ryo reached out to open the cupboard again. This time, the open doors revealed to rows of clothing, male and female in design.

"I'm not even going to ask how that happened," Ryo said with a laugh. Rika reached out, her eyes wide with confusion, and pulled out a midnight blue training robe with the letters _R.A.N _stitched onto the breast in silver.

"R.A.N?" Ryo said curiously. "Who's that?"

"Uh…that would be me," Rika said, stuffing the garment back into the armoire before pulling out a violet night frock that would fit her perfectly. Turning to walk away Rika felt her self being stopped by a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned back to look at Ryo who was grinning wickedly at her.

"What does it stand for? You never told me you had a middle name, Wildcat."

"If I tell you will you let me go?" She asked, wanting nothing more than to run away before she lost herself in his sapphire eyes.

"You have my word."

"Fine then. Those are my initials. They stand for Rika Asuka Nonaka. Happy now big stuff?" She gave him a withering look but he only grinned wider.

"Asuka?"

"Yes, it was my great grandma's name. Now if you're done playing twenty questions with me I'd like to go take that shower." She tried to walk away but he only gripped her shoulder tighter.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a middle name? It's cute." He smiled down at her but she only shook her head.

"I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that…for your sake as well as mine. As for why I never said anything, well…you never asked. Is that all?" She was getting highly annoyed with him now and he laughed.

"Almost. Just one more question." He said, coming to a steadfast and somewhat risky decision. He couldn't stand being this close to her and not doing something, especially when they were alone since Renamon and Cyberdramon had disappeared like they were wont to do whenever he and Rika were together. Everything between them was riding on her answer…or more accurately, her reaction.

"And what would that be?" Smiling down at her, Ryo gently pulled the night frock from her hands and dropped it on the bed stand beside him. Rika looked down at it then back up at him, her eyes holding so many emotions it was hard to see what they all were. He noted confusion, apprehension and two others that contradicted these but he was too afraid to place. If he did and he was wrong the consequences would be cataclysmic! But chance without risk wasn't chance at all and if he didn't do this now he never would. Dropping his hand from her shoulder he let it fall to her waist where he gently pulled, bringing her closer to him. He raised his other hand and caressed his fingers across her cheek, marveling at how easy this was and how natural it felt. He was, after all, a seventeen-year-old boy and he had hormones just like anyone else. Why not want this from a girl – although he planned to stay far away from that forbidden line (hope that made sense).

Rika seemed to be struggling with herself as Ryo's hands sailed smoothly across her silky skin, leaving a tingling trail on her cheek. She knew this shouldn't be happening, it was too dangerous! But it felt so tantalizingly good that all she did was stand there, staring up at him with almost fearful eyes – almost.

"You never asked me your question," she whispered with a surprising amount of courage considering she had never done anything like this before. Ryo smiled and pulled her closer still, moving his hand up to brush his fingers through her hair, carefully easing it out of the spiky ponytail she always wore it in.

"How long have we been friends, Rika?" He asked his smile become tenderer at the memory of their first few meetings in the Digital World. The card game they had played so long ago meant nothing between them anymore.

"Ever since we fought the D-Reaper," she replied. He nodded and leaned a little closer to her.

"Right, which means about two years."

"Almost," she said, nodding slowly.

"That's quite a long time," he said, smiling at the way she released a shuddering sigh as his fingers lightly raked her hair. Her eyes drifted shut and she lowered her face, a light smile on her lips. He would have to remember this…it seemed like she liked it a lot more than he had hoped.

"Yeah, it is."

"Well then," he murmured, tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him again. "Would it scare you if I did this?" And he lowered his face to hers, his lips slanting over hers in a light, tender kiss. She had known it was coming, had told herself to move before he managed to do it, but for all that she was worth Rika couldn't pull herself away. The instant his lips were on hers her back stiffened and stayed that way until he pulled back again. She hadn't returned the kiss but hadn't pulled away either and she felt so confused that her head actually ached. Ryo was gazing down at her expectantly and she bit her lip, unable to say anything to him; for the first time in her life she was afraid of him. When she tried to pull away he held her more tightly, successfully pulling her so close that they were chest to chest.

"Ryo please, I…" The look in his eyes hurt so much that she looked away, her hands balling into tight fists at her sides where they had remained the entire time he had kissed her. Both his arms were wrapped around her waist now.

"Rika, look at me." She did and when their eyes met she found herself unable to look away. He searched her swirling pools of amethyst and found everything he wanted there, but there was so much hidden fear and apprehension holding her back from her own feelings that he feared he may never get it.

"You're scared," he said after a long silence that had seemed so hot and tense that Rika had felt like she were drowning in it.

"I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want _anyone_ to get hurt for that matter. Don't you get it? The sovereign are after _me_. If they knew about…about this then…"

"I'd be the first to go. I know. But that won't happen, Rika. Not while I'm around."

"But if they kill you, you won't be around! Christ, Ryo! I want this more than anything but I don't want you to die because of me, like my grandmother did!" She pushed herself out of his arms and turned away, crossing her arms and shutting her eyes tightly. All she could think of now was that horrifying night when she had found Seiko lying in a pool of her own blood, surrounded by useless onlookers and a police system just as inept. When Ryo spoke next his words were stern to the point of anger.

"We've been through this. That wasn't your fault! Stop torturing yourself for it dammit! Don't you get it? The more you blame yourself the more afraid you'll be of ever letting anyone in again. I won't let you do that to yourself again, Rika. I know you weren't the way you were before because your dad left, you're stronger than that. And it wasn't because of all the shit that happened on your birthdays because that was just rotten luck. But it doesn't matter why you did it because it's not gonna happen again. I'll see to that." He closed the small distance she had put between them and wrapped her in his arms again, holding her more tightly than before. She was shivering against him when he turned her around and forced her to look at him. If she had known that the evening would turn out like this then she never would have come back to the room. Never in her life had she cried before anyone, except on the night of her grandmother's death. Now she wondered if she would have the will power to hold back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Why was he making her hurt so much? It wasn't fair!

"Please, Rika. Don't do this to yourself. You're hurting yourself and it's not necessary," he whispered, his voice suddenly soft and gentle. She tried to turn her face away but he tilted her chin back up and lowered his face to hers again. This time, when his lips pressed against hers she responded, weakly lifting her arms to his neck thus deepening the kiss when she pressed her lips into his. When at last he pulled away again. She leaned her head into the hollow of his neck and buried her face into his chest. Exhausted from the conversation they'd had (if you could call it that) the shower she had wanted suddenly didn't seem so appealing.

"I want to go to sleep," she murmured and he nodded, knowing that she would reach out to him when she was ready. Letting her go he watched as she quietly retrieved her night frock and walked into the bathroom to change. In the short time that it took for her to change Ryo had removed his shirt and slipped back into his bed, lying on his side to make sure Rika was alright. When she climbed into the other bed and rolled over so that her back was to him he sighed and shut his eyes. He had finally gotten what he wanted but it wasn't complete yet. Rika knew how he felt and she had said all to clearly that she felt the same but until she got over her fear they wouldn't be able to move any further than they already had. He wondered sadly why she had responded to their last kiss if she wasn't sure about her intentions. Perhaps she had been looking for comfort, albeit in the wrong places. Sighing softly Ryo let his eyes drift shut, his last conscious thought being that he would wait for her as long as she needed to adjust to the idea of such a big jump in their relationship. He just hoped she didn't need too long.

Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to write this pathetically short chapter but I've been busy with exams and some hospital affairs that needed taking care of (like two tonsillectomies for my cousins J). Not to mention I've spent half of my holiday at my gran's house and the rest of the time has been put into artwork and university applications. I promise to try and write faster and I give you my word that I won't be discontinuing. I like this story…it's fun to write :-). Anywho, Kaede hasn't come back yet so I'm free to stop writing now. Toodles until the next chapter! Hope you liked this one because it was the first official Ryuki and it won't be the last ;-)

BYE!!!


	18. Old Rival Arrival

Hi again! I didn't get very many reviews on my last chapter so I suppose a few people must have lost interest after the long wait…oops. Kaede still isn't back yet so I'm safe from her for a little while longer. Anywho, hope you guys liked the last chapter, I'm planning on adding more romance in this one and it's not gonna be purely Ryuki. So, on with the show!

Chapter 18 

Old Rival Arrival

"Get up girl!" Rika pushed herself up and rolled out of the way just in time to dodge the heavy blade being swung at her. Her own sword had been knocked from her hands and was lying a few feet away. She heard the swishing of the metallic blade before she saw at and dove out of the way again, this time hearing the sword catch something metal instead of the ground. Glancing back briefly Rika saw Ryo locked in a desperate pushing match with her attacker, each trying to out power the other with their own sword. Ryo was losing but not by much so she used the time he had bought her to grab her sword. Running back into the battle she swung her sword upwards from beneath the attackers and, using all her energy, managed to knock his sword out of his hand. But this foe was quick and before the blade had even managed to hit the ground he had it in his hands again and was charging her. Raising her sword for defense she managed to deflect the blow by rolling her own blade sideways to make the other slide off it. When the attacker recovered his balance he spun around and swung his blade at her again, this time catching her in the middle and sending her flying. He had turned his blade at the very last second so that the flat side hit her stomach instead of the sharp edges. Ryo came up behind him and struck downwards at the foe's shoulder but he turned with lighting speed and deflected the blow like Rika had, sending Ryo crashing to the floor. The blade came down at his head, speeding through the air with a terrifying whistling noise…and stopped, pressed tightly to his cheek.

"Well done. You have improved. But you have a long way to go, we continue. Now GET UP!" Ryo looked back at Vahimermon and frowned angrily. His eyes traveled over to where Rika was struggling to her feet and lifting her sword in her good arm. The other one seemed to have a long cut down the side and was bleeding freely. When Vahimermon moved his sword Ryo shot to his feet and was at Rika's side in an instant. They had been training for a week and still they hadn't even begun their double digivolution training yet. This was all strength, speed and abilities. Vahimermon was helping them unlock their _inner strength_ as he called it and learn to fight for themselves. That way when they digivolved it would make the evolution that much more powerful.

"You okay, Wildcat?" Ryo asked as he stood beside her. She was breathing hard and was grimacing slightly from the pain in her arm.

"I'm alright. Let's just get this over with," she said heavily. Vahimermon charged them again and knocked them apart by merely jumping through as he passed. Turning in mid-air he lurched towards Rika who hadn't managed to get to her feet yet. Seeing him coming she grabbed her sword and raised it above herself to take the blow. Their blades met and as he pushed down towards her she pushed back up trying to get his sword away from her face. It came down slowly but surely until it was pressing into her forehead. She cried out in pain as a trickle off blood oozed its way out from under the sword and ran down her face. There was another cry but this one was more angry and came from Ryo as he tackled Vahimermon from the side, throwing him off Rika and making him loose his sword in the fall. Sitting up Rika looked over to where Ryo and Vahimermon were wrestling on the floor, swords completely forgotten. Ryo was fighting tooth and nail, raining blow after blow on every part of Vahimermon that he could reach. Grabbing Vahimermon's sword Rika ran over to them, watching as Ryo fought to protect her.

"Why are you targeting her," he yelled as he threw a devastating right hook at Vahimermon's cheek. "She needs time to recover!" He slammed his fist into his chest. "You can't just keep attacking her!" His knuckles bruised themselves on his jaw. "Or there'll be nothing left of her." He ground his next punch as deep as he could into his flesh. "I won't let you hurt her anymore!!" A sword slid passed Ryo's nose and pressed up against Vahimermon's neck. Head spinning slightly from the unexpectedly painful beating he had taken, Vahimermon looked up to see Rika holding both his sword and her own.

"This training session is over," she said icily, helping Ryo to his feet. Vahimermon stood too and brushed himself off.

"Very well. Take tomorrow to recover your strength." He turned his green eyes to Ryo and frowned. "You wish to know why I target her? If you were battling the Sovereign do you think they would spare her even seconds to recover from anything? They wish to see her suffer and will show no mercy when they attack. I am merely preparing you for the real thing." Still seething mad Ryo shook his head and took Rika's hand, pulling her towards the door.

"It doesn't matter. You are supposed to be helping us. Not _killing_ us!"

"Ryo…" Rika said in a pacifying voice. He looked at her and she shook her head carefully, clearly telling him that it was over and that he could relax. "Vahimermon is right. They won't show mercy so I should be prepared." Blood was running freely out of the cut on her forehead but it only burned a little. Rika pulled Ryo out of the training room, his hand wrapped tightly around hers. It wasn't until they left the room that she reclaimed her hand and walked beside him.

"Thank you," she said tiredly. He glanced at her and smiled. The bruises he would have in the morning were worth it if he had stopped Vahimermon from hurting her anymore.

"I thought you were siding with him?" He said, still smiling despite that.

"I was, but what you did saved me from a serious headache." He laughed at this and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Wildcat. Let's find MarineAngemon and get you cleaned up."

On the way back to their room Rika and Ryo encountered Jeri and Remoraemon, who was busy healing a wound Henry had gotten in training.

"Hey guys, how was Vahimermon? Brutal as always?" He asked, flexing his arm to remedy the stiffness.

"Yeah. What about you? Piximon give you a hard time too?" Ryo replied, looking over to where Takato was having his own wounds healed too.

"I didn't think Piximon could be so vicious!" Takato exclaimed. "I mean, I saw how hard his training was in the program on TV but I'd have traded mopping the bakery's floors for that _any_ day!" Ryo snickered and rolled his eyes. Turning to Rika he noticed for the first time that the cut on her forehead had left a thin, pale scar, cutting through her eyebrow and onto the top most part of her cheek. He found this quite odd since MarineAngemon's 'Kahuna Waves' attack usually healed anything perfectly. Henry noticed this too and folded his arms curiously.

"That's weird. Why d'you think you still have a scar, Rika?" He asked.

"A scar? Where?" Ryo touched the spot to show her and she frowned.

"I'm not sure. Maybe MarineAngemon is just losing his touch," she said with a shrug.

"I could fix it for you on my laptop if you like." They all turned to see Alice standing behind Henry with her black laptop under her arm. She had obviously brought extra clothes with her because she was once again wearing her favourite black dress. "Since there aren't any data streams here my laptop should work perfectly. If you like I could mess with your data a little and get rid of it." Rika gave her a skeptical look at this.

"Uh…no thanks. I'd rather not be tampered with," she said and Alice shrugged.

"Your choice. Hey, Henry, your dad was one of the people who invented Digimon, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I had a few questions that my Grandpa couldn't answer. You mind if we take a walk?" She gave him a small smile and he nodded.

"Sure. See you later guys." He turned to Alice and they walked off, chatting quietly to each other as they went.

"Okay, well then, Jeri? You ready to go?" Takato asked. She nodded sweetly and followed Takato down the hall with Remoraemon trotting after them. Rika watched them for a second before turning and walking into her room with Ryo hot on her heels.

"Are you as tired as I am?" Ryo asked sleepily as he threw himself onto his bed.

"Yeah," Rika replied somewhat distractedly. She took a night frock into her arms and walked over to the bathroom. She glanced back at Ryo, as he lay half asleep on his bed with his arms behind his head. Sighing softly she stepped into bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Rika turned on the water and slipped into the shower, sighing when the hot water hit her exhausted body. She knew why she had the scar and knew why she felt so depressed. The powers inside her were stirring and making her feel uneasy. As long as Vahimermon kept his mind connected with hers, the small amount of physic abilities she seemed to have would remain so intensely heightened that she could actually sense what the other Tamers were thinking. It scared her a little because she didn't really like what they thought about all day, especially Jeri, who she had begun to avoid simply to escape her thoughts. Her mind was clouded with the memories of Leomon and her mother, both of whom were long dead but caused constant pain in this ever-smiling girl. Then there were the memories of the trauma she had suffered under the D-Reaper's cruel hands. Kazu and Kenta thought surprisingly a lot considering how stupid they acted all of the time and Henry seemed to be perpetually worrying about his little sister. Then there were the twins, who had matured incredibly over the short period of time that they had been separated from Impmon. Rika had experienced all of these thoughts in just one day and had begun to distance herself from the Tamers to stop from accidentally reading their thoughts. It was lucky that training kept her so busy, giving her ample reason to stay away from them, but it also meant that she had to spend more time with Ryo than she would have liked. Ever since he had kissed her…scratch that, ever since she had _let_ him kiss her, she couldn't stand being alone in the same room with him. Taking a deep breath she leaned into the wall and let the water ease the tension in her shoulders and the aching in her head. God, she missed Seiko more now than ever. If only she were here to help Rika understand everything that was happening. She had always had the right answers… A single tear ran down her cheek and Rika wiped it away furiously. She was done crying. She knew that no matter how much it hurt and no matter how much she wished it could, crying would not bring Seiko back. She was gone and there was nothing Rika could do about it. She would just have to cope…even though she was doing a lousy job of it right now. Suddenly desperate for a good night's sleep Rika left the comforting water to dress and go to bed. When she walked into the room, towel drying her hair, Ryo was already asleep and the room had dimmed itself slightly. Hanging her towel over one of her bedposts Rika slid easily into the comfortable layers of her bed. She lay awake for an hour or so before her weariness finally overcame her and she drifted into a restless sleep.

Henry pulled back to look at a smiling Alice as she leaned against the wall. His arms tightened around her waist and he sighed happily, leaning his forehead against hers.

"We have got to stop meeting like this Miss McCoy," he said with a light smirk that she laughed at.

"Why? I think our little walks are quite productive." She tilted her head up and kissed him sweetly before leaning back again. "_And_ I think my acting skills are improving. No one suspected anything when I asked you to take a walk with me." On that Henry could agree.

"There are other skills of yours that are improving too," he said with a grin that was out of character but made him look devilishly cute in her eyes.

"Oh? Like what?" She asked in mock innocence, knowing his answer without even having to think about it.

"Hmm, like this…" and he leaned forward to press another kiss to her lips. She smiled into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and, consequentially, deepening the kiss.

"You've improved a bit yourself, Wong," she giggled, giving him a small wink before steeping out of his arms and folding her arms against his chest. He smiled and came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him so that her back was pressed against his chest. She sighed softly and leaned into him, gazing half sleepily out a window.

"How long have we been doing this, Henry?" She asked suddenly and he looked down at her curiously.

"About half an hour, why?" She laughed at this and shook her head.

"No you idiot. I meant how long have we been together!"

"Oh!" He laughed too. "Well, that's different then. I'd say about a year and a half."

"Mmm, that sounds about right." She rested her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes leisurely. "How long do you think we should wait before telling everyone? I know you want to keep us a secret but I don't like lying to everyone, Henry. Especially now when we need to be able to trust each other." He smiled down at her and kissed the back of her head.

"Tell you what. If you're ready to tell everyone, then go ahead. I suppose keeping this between us is getting kinda hard, isn't it." She nodded and turned to look at him.

"So you don't mind if we tell them?" He shook his head and she smiled brightly. "Thank you. Now, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day and I'm sure after all that training you'll want to get some sleep." With that she gave him a light peck on the cheek and walked off, leaving him standing quietly in the weaponry room staring after her.

"You have failed me once before. Do it again and there will be dire consequences."

"I understand, Master. The Digimon Murderer will be defeated soon. Vahimermon has told me exactly where to find them. She and all her pathetic friends will be destroyed before nightfall tomorrow!"

"Good. Now go and do not disappoint me!"

"As you wish, My Liege."

In the darkness of the bedroom two violet eyes snapped open, staring up into the canopy of the bed. Rika blinked a few times before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She had awoken from a dream as if she had been shocked but she was calm and relaxed. In fact, the dream hadn't shocked her at all. Her sleeping mind had simply come to a realization and it had forced her awake. She sat there, gazing into the darkness, and blinked again to get her eyes used to the lack of light. Turning her eyes to the left, she found the shape of a sleeping boy in the bed next to her own.

"Ryo…" the word formed soundlessly on her lips. Shaking her head she stood up and stretched her aching muscles. It was close to morning and she knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again so Rika quietly changed into her usual outfit, thankful for the break from her training uniform. Grabbing her D-Arc and cards Rika left the room to take a walk. The air was crisp and cool, sending shivers up her spine, but Rika loved the cold weather so it didn't matter. She made her way into the main chamber quietly thinking about what her dreams had meant. For some strange reason she no longer feared Ryo or what he had asked her to do. In fact, she was embracing the idea now. Her early morning walk would give her a chance to think about how she was going to tell him she was ready. It had only taken a week for her to come to the conclusion.

_Ha, _only a week_. That's a laugh. I doubt he's even still interested._ But she knew that he was. The looks he gave her were unmistakable. Yawning sleepily she walked out of the double doors and onto the platform that overlooked the forest. The stairway they had used to get up here looked a lot longer from the top. Deciding against going down Rika turned and walked around the Temple. It was huge and after what felt like ages Rika finally found a door leading back inside. She took it and let her feet take her where they wanted. She found herself walking into an antechamber that she hadn't seen before. The instant she walked in, however, she knew she wasn't alone. She turned slowly and looked around and sure enough, her eyes fell on the silhouette of Alex. She was holding the VDT and talking rather angrily into it.

"Look, Dad, you lied to me so I have every right to stay here as long as I like!"

"You're _my_ daughter, Alexis. If I tell you to come home then you'll do it! No questions asked!" The man's voice sounded eerily familiar to Rika so she inched closer and hid behind a pillar to avoid being seen. Peering around the marble she looked into the VDT's screen and her eyes widened. A man with dark red hair and blue eyes was glaring up at Alex who was glaring right back. Rika had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from yelling out. That was _her_ father! But no…that meant that Alex was her… No! Her sister had died years ago. Her father had told them so.

"You no longer control my life. When you told me that they were dead I thought I would die too, but it was all a lie! I can't believe you did that! You're even lower than I thought you were!" So he had told her they were dead and told Rika and her mother that Alex had died too. Why? It didn't make any sense. She _did_ remember Alex now though. She had forgotten after all these years because she had been so young when her dad had left and taken Alex away with him. Her mother had pretended that nothing had happened after Alex had 'died' in an attempt to heal from the pain of losing her eldest daughter. She had never spoken to Rika about her and neither had Seiko. That's why Rika had forgotten her. She couldn't take it anymore. Stepping out from behind the pillar she cleared her throat and folded her arms. Alex spun around in shock only to be met with an icy glare that had turned strong, brave men into whimpering cowards. Glowering at her Rika snatched the VDT from her hands and looked down at her father. She could see he was reaching to disconnect them so she shook her head angrily.

"Don't even think about it, Nonaka," she hissed, her voice deadly calm and frigid with malice. Her father stopped and looked up at her from the screen with a sigh.

"How much did you hear, Rika?" He asked but he sounded anything but remorseful.

"Enough," she snapped in response. "Why did you lie to us?" He shook his head and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I didn't want her to contact you or your slut of a mother." Rika felt her temper rise beyond boiling point.

"My mother is _not_ a slut you pretentious moron!" She yelled furiously. "It's your fault people are throwing that rumour at us everyday. _You're_ the one who slept with her when she was seventeen!"

"I only did it to get Alex," he said calmly although his eyes were flashing. "And hold your tongue you disrespectful little wretch."

"Or you'll what, _dad_?" She sneered angrily. "You going to beat me like you did before you left? Ha! I'd like to see you try."

"Rika…" Alex said cautiously, reaching out towards her.

"Don't touch me!" She snarled, rounding on Alex with just as much fury as she felt for her father. "You lied too so don't expect me to suddenly become your best friend again!" Alex gave her a hurt look and dropped her gaze. Turning back to her father Rika's scowl deepened.

"Why?" She asked. "Why did you leave! You broke mom's heart and nearly destroyed our lives when you took everything from us!"

"I left because you were a _mistake_!" That answer silenced Rika immediately. Never in her whole life had she been so shocked. "I would have gladly stayed if that bitch hadn't insisted on keeping you. All I wanted was Alex but then you had to jump into the picture too. When she refused to put you up for adoption I left and took Alex with me." Rika nearly dropped the VDT her hand was shaking so much. She shook her head in horror and disbelief. It couldn't be true! But then…it did make sense. Why else would Rumiko spend all those years trying to force Rika into modeling and dancing and all the things _Alex_ had loved to do. She hadn't been trying to turn Rika into herself; she had been trying to turn her into Alex! Rika would have cried were it not for the fact that she never cried and she was too angry to do it. Taking a deep calming breath she turned to Alex again, her eyes blazing with rage.

"Rika, please. If I'd known you were alive…but he told me you all died in a car crash. I was heartbroken! You were my best friend and I didn't understand why I couldn't see you anymore but it was all a lie! I'm sorry I never said anything sooner it's just…I didn't think you were ready to hear it." Rika disconnected the line with her father, not caring about the threats he had been throwing at her if she did it, and folded her arms.

"How long have you known?" She asked quietly.

"Rika, please…"

"How long!" Alex sighed and shook her head.

"I figured it out when I saw you and Renamon battling the D-Reaper. I knew the model that looked so much like mom might have just been a coincidence, but not you…"

"You've known for almost two years…You've had so many chances to say something but you never! You just carried on with your life. You're no better than he is," she said, her voice quiet and calm, hiding the anger and hurt that was building up inside her. Turning around she left the room the way she had come, walking quietly back around the Temple. She heard Alex running after her and calling for her but she ignored her and kept walking. Alex finally caught up with her when Rika was just going into the double doors of the Temple entrance.

"Rika!" Rika's back went rigid and she shook her head, ignoring her still as she started walking into the temple. The sun suddenly came up behind her and light spilled into the room, lighting up the figures of Takato, Jeri and Henry who were all watching her in shock. She glared at them and walked right past them. Alex watched her leave from the door and slid to her knees. Tears were running down her face and a small sob escaped her lips as she saw Rika turn the corner and disappear.

Ryo sighed as he walked through the Temple in search of Rika. It was late morning now and he had been looking for her ever since Takato came rushing into his room to tell him what had happened. He wasn't all that shocked to find out Rika and Alex were sisters. He had suspected it once and they looked and acted so alike it was uncanny. Alex hadn't divulged the entire story to them but they had gotten the gist of the argument and Ryo knew that Rika would need someone to talk to, even if she said she didn't. He looked into a far away room that was on the very top floor of the four-story Temple and sighed with relief when he saw Rika sitting on the window sill of the glassless window, one leg pulled up to her chest while the other hung over the edge. She was leaning with her back to the wall so she hadn't seen him come in.

"Hey, Pumpkin. Mind if I sit?" She ignored him completely, absently looking out the window at the forest that surrounded them. Ryo sat down and leaned into the other side of the windowpane, his arms casually resting behind his head.

"Nice view," he said lightly. She still didn't respond so he looked over at her. The pain in her eyes was so obvious that he had a strong urge to pull her close but he knew better than to do that.

"Hey," he said gently. "You okay?" She frowned but he knew it was only to stop from doing something else. She wasn't angry with him. "Rika…?"

"I'm fine, Ryo," she said softly, sounding anything but fine. "I just want some time to my self, okay?"

"Sure, okay," he said but made no move to leave. She didn't say anything so he took it she didn't mind. They sat in silence for a while, watching the forest and the calm sky. A flock of Biyomon suddenly soared into the sky and Rika watched them fly towards the river before going below the tree line where she could no longer see them.

"Rika?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you wanna talk about what happened? It'll help," Ryo said gently. She finally turned to look at him and there eyes met. She watched him for a second before dropping her gaze again.

"I suppose _she_ told you everything already," she said quietly.

"No, just that you found out the truth. She never said how, or why you're so upset." But he knew that without having to be told. Alex had been with them in the Digital world for more than a month now and had said nothing. She had lied and Rika _hated_ liars.

"I saw her talking to my dad…" she whispered. Ryo stared at her in shock at this. She had never spoken to him or anyone else about her father before. All Ryo knew about the man was that he had left and hurt Rika and her mother in the process. Rika hated him with a passion and that was all he _needed_ to know.

"Did you speak to him too?" He asked. She nodded and frowned again.

"Yeah, I spoke to him. I asked him why he left all those years ago."

"Did he say why?" She nodded again but this time she sighed.

"He left because of me. He never wanted me. He said that I was a mistake and that he had never wanted me around." She looked up at him with stricken eyes and Ryo felt them tear at his heart. "He wanted my mom to put me up for adoption but she refused…so he left." She turned her face away and stared sadly out the window again. This time Ryo couldn't resist the urge. He shifted closer to her and pulled Rika into his arms, holding her close to him. She took a shuddering breath to calm herself and leaned into him, shutting her eyes to stop the tears that had welled up there. She had cried one to many times in the digital world and she was _not_ going to let her bastard of a father get to her.

"Hey," he whispered gently as he held her close. "It's okay." She shook her head and sighed softly, pressing her self closer to him. She told him exactly what her father had said and to her surprise and relief she felt a lot better after telling him. He had listened quietly and when she had finished had allowed her to pull away from him to regain her composure.

"Rika, maybe you should talk to Alex about it. I not you probably don't trust her anymore but it's not entirely her fault. After all, your father lied to her too you know." Rika looked up at Ryo from where she had leant back into the wall and she sighed.

"You just don't get it, Ryo. I'm not really angry with her it's just… I just found out that my father hates me. He never wanted me alive in the first place. Have you got any idea how that feels? To find out you're the runt of the family?" She shook her head again looked out the window, folding her arms defensively across her chest.

"No, I don't, but I do know that your father is wrong. You're not a mistake, Rika. Your mother loves you and so do all your friends. Who cares what your dad thinks? If he doesn't want you then it's his loss." He reached out and put his hand her shoulder comfortingly.

"Thanks, Ryo, I…" she paused when a huge explosion erupted in the center of the forest. They looked at each other before turning back to the forest. A big Digimon was standing amongst the trees, his head only just visible above them. He looked vaguely familiar to them and after a few seconds Ryo clicked.

"Rika! That's Tuzeremon!"

"What? But how! We destroyed him in the real world!" She stood up and he followed.

"I don't know, but we better do something. If he destroys the Temple we won't be able to train anymore."

"Well then let's gets going."

They ran out of he room and down the Temple stairs until they finally reached the main room. The other Tamers where standing at the door with Vahimermon, staring in shock as Tuzeremon made his way through the forest towards them. When they came up to them Takato turned to look at Rika.

"You okay?" He asked. She shrugged and looked down at Tuzeremon as he ripped trees right out of the ground.

"How do you think he survived?" She asked. Henry sighed and turned to her.

"I think that when we destroyed him in the real world his body wasn't fully formed yet so he simply got transported back here. You know, kind of like what happened to Dobermon."

"I see," Ryo replied, getting his D-Arc ready when Cyberdramon walked up behind him. "That would also explain why he's so much bigger now."

"Where are the others?" Rika asked, not taking her eyes off Tuzeremon.

"Inside with Alice and Jeri…just in case," Henry replied. She nodded and braced herself for battle.

"Well, let's get this over with," Takato said, holding his D-Arc ready too. They all stepped out of the door and raised their D-Arcs into the air.

"Bio-Merge Activate!" Gallantmon, Megagargomon, Justimon, Sakuyamon, SacreAngewomon and Anubismon raced of the platform towards Tuzeremon, Vahimermon following a little slower behind them. Tuzeremon laughed as he saw them coming and stood at the ready.

"I see I have your attention…"

"How did you find us here and what have you down with Warinmon!" Gallantmon yelled angrily as they landed.

"Oh, it was quite simple really. You see, you have two Devas in your midst, one that is, conveniently for me, a psychic type. He transmitted me your exact location and …here I am. As for that pathetic excuse for a Digimon guarding the entrance…well, let's just say his data is being put to better use." There was a silence at this before they all turned to Vahimermon angrily.

"You betrayed us?!" Sakuyamon said, her voice shaking with fury.

"No! You of all people know I wouldn't, Rika. After all, if I had purposefully told him them you would have heard me doing so. I'm afraid that during our training I forgot to shut the Sovereign out of my thoughts. I apologize," he bowed to them sadly but they seemed less than convinced.

"He's telling the truth guys," Rika said, turning back to Tuzeremon. "Forget it. We have more important things to worry about right now." The Tamers agreed and Tuzeremon laughed.

"Touching, you actually still trust him. Hmm, you humans and your pets are more pathetic than I thought. It will make crushing you so much more fun."

"Oh please. You really think that you, one Deva, can destroy us when three at once couldn't?" SacreAngewomon scoffed.

"Yes actually. You see I am in command of the Devas. Second only to my masters and Zihuralamon."

"Great…" Gallantmon said apprehensively.

"I don't care who he is, I've had enough of this guy!" Sakuyamon said angrily. The Tamers agreed and stood at the ready.

"Very well then. Prepare to be destroyed! Arrow Catastrophe!!"

Okay, so that's all for now. Sorry it's taking so long for me to post my chapters but I'm a little busy with my exams. I don't know how the terms (semesters) work in America and Europe but here in the FOOKING HOT country of South Africa it is the last term of the year and I'm writing my finals for the eleventh grade (second last year of High school for those of you who just say senior or what not).

Kaede: Hi everyone, I'm back!

Oh no…groans

Kaede: Shut up! Just for that I'm not gonna give you your souvenir!

Oh please, like you bought me anything…stingy biatch…

**Now to acknowledge my cough, cough fans:**

karika88 – well, here's the chapter you wanted, hope you liked it J

GT Kari-123 – There you go, I updated!

Amethyst Blizzard – thanks! But I somehow doubt you coulf POSSIBLY get writers block! Your fics are great! J And I know, it was awful of Kaede to leave me behind…

Forlorn Melody – thanks

KristiexxNguyen – thanks, hope you enjoyed it.

ryukitjha – There you go, I updated it…finally…

wwerocker – awww, thanks! blushes but there are better ones. I suggest you read C Queens "There for you". EXCELLENT story…but she hasn't updated ibn a while (if you're reading this C Queen then hope you took the hint there!)

Inu-kag-forever – thanks!

Luzr-Gurl13 – Sorry about that. I also lost track of the storyline a bit… I'll try to write my story a bit more reader-friendlyish.


	19. Battles can be Brutal

Hello again, it's me. Sorry about the whole lack-of-spaces-between-scenes thing…I don't know why it did that because I did put my usual six-stars-with-lines-in-between-them breaker. Oh well…I'll just use something different.

Kaede: Hey you Baka! Shut up and start writing already!

Urusai wa ne! (shut up) (anyone know how to spell 'hello' in Japanese? I know its something like kon-ee-chi-wa but I'm not sure of the spelling…)

Kaede: Huh? Whatever. Just write the chapter already!!

P.S: I made a little mistake in the last chapter. I said that Ai, Mako and Suzy were inside the Temple with Alice and Jeri but then I said that Anubismon was also fighting. My bad. He isn't, Labramon and Alice are helping look after the kids inside.

Chapter 19 

Battle's can be Brutal

"Arrow Catastrophe!" Hundreds of yellow and red arrows went soaring through the air, flying straight towards the Tamers. Megagargomon flew up ahead of them and crossed his arms in front of his face, taking the full force of the attack. His sturdy armour held fast and he remained relatively unharmed.

"You'll have to do better than that!" He said.

"My pleasure!" Tuzeremon raised his arms above his head and let out an angry roar. "Arrowhead Tsunami!" He brought his arms down in a wild sweep and what looked like a massive barrel wave came crashing towards them out of nowhere. The water formed into sharp points, much like the tips of arrows and tore across the forest, throwing the Tamers back with its force. Gallantmon, who had been tossed against a tree, stood up and shook himself off.

"That's gonna leave a mark," he muttered weakly. Sakuyamon stood up beside him and looked over her shoulder at Justimon and Megagargomon, both of whom had landed at the foot of the stairway leading to the temple.

"Come on, guys. We have to focus here." She raised her staff with both hands her bowed her head. A ball of pulsing electricity formed around her hands and an odd humming sound filled the area.

"Crystal Sphere!" The energy ball shot off her staff and flew at Tuzeremon. He didn't move, simply standing there and waiting for her attack. It hit him in the forehead and the ball exploded, making his body glow with the electricity that was roaring over his body. He didn't even so much as flinch. When the attack died away he laughed and flexed his arms.

"Your pathetic little tricks won't work on me, Digimon Murderer. You have no power against me." He took a step towards her and Rika backed away a little before standing firm.

"Threaten me all you like. You don't scare me." She raised her staff and leapt into the air. Drawing a large pentagon in the air, she let loose her "Dragon Helix" attack just before Justimon combined his "Justice Burst" with it. This had clearly become their favourite attack. The giant dragon flew straight at Tuzeremon who growled and braced himself for the blow. The Dragon circled him twice, shooting blasts of amethyst fire at him before roaring and flying right into him, creating a massive explosion.

"Alright!" Gallantmon cheered. "Our turn!" He dug his feet into the ground and held his shield out in front of him. Each triangle on the outer rim of the shield started lighting up and when they were all glowing brightly, the center figure started shining too.

"Shield of the Just!" An arrow like beam of energy exploded out of his shield and connected with the fire that was still surrounding Tuzeremon. This caused an even bigger explosion and the entire area was suddenly in flames. The Tamers stood staring into the inferno before them, waiting apprehensively for any signs of life.

"Do you think he's gone?" Gallantmon asked. Vahimermon shook his head.

"I very much doubt it. He is more powerful than what he has shown. I fear this is only the beginning…"

"Quite right, _old friend_." They all froze in horror at the deadly quiet voice coming from within the flames. An eerie silence fell over the forest as Tuzeremon calmly walked out of them, completely unharmed and seemingly unfazed. Their attacks had done nothing.

"No!" Megagargomon said desperately. "He's not even hurt!"

"This isn't working. We need to come up with a new plan." Sakuyamon rounded on SacreAngewomon, glaring at her.

"This coming from someone who hasn't even lifted a finger to help us," Rika sneered. SacreAngewomon flinched a little at her sister's malice before sighing and raising her bow.

"You're never going to forgive me are you…" she whispered sadly. Rika folded her arms within Sakuyamon and narrowed her eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I should," she hissed in return. Tuzeremon was watching this little exchange with a sinister smirk on his reptilian face.

"Now _this_ is entertainment. I think I'll help them along…" His eyes started glowing brightly and a crimson light enveloped SacreAngewomon.

"W-what's going on…" she was shivering with what appeared to be pain while she struggled against the light that was now threatening to consume her.

"Rika…run. I can't…hold it any-more." The light brightened and suddenly her entire body stiffened. She raised her face to Sakuyamon and smirked evilly. Sakuyamon glared right back.

"I'm not going anywhere." She raised her staff and took up a fighting stance. "You want to fight out our problems, then be my guest."

"Rika, don't! You'll kill each other!" Henry said anxiously.

"Shut it, Wong. This is between me and my own blood."

"Yes," SacreAngewomon laughed. "Your blood…which is what's going to be on the ground when I'm through with you!" With that said she launched herself at Sakuyamon who leapt into the air as well.

"Shaman Crossbow!"

"Amethyst Wind!" The attacks connected between them and exploded, throwing them back again.

"Rika! Stop it! We're supposed to be fighting Tuzeremon, not each other!" Takato called.

"Stay out of this!" Alex snarled. The red glow around her pulsed viciously and she raised her arms to the air. A ball of green and blue energy formed in her upturned palms and it started growing larger as she drew energy into it from all around her.

"Heaven's Cloud of Judgment!!" Sakuyamon growled angrily and raised her staff again. A ball of amethyst light appeared at the tip and she lifted it off. Holding out her arm, she spun in the air and threw the ball at SacreAngewomon like a discus.

"Spirit Crusher!" Just as Sakuyamon's attack hit SacreAngewomon she threw her own attack down at Sakuyamon with a violent sweep of her arms. The giant ball hit her full on and she was thrown back into the blazing inferno behind her. Tuzeremon laughed hysterically while Justimon flew after Sakuyamon. Megagargomon went after SacreAngewomon, who was lying in a pile of debris far away from them. Gallantmon, however, faced Tuzeremon angrily, his eyes blazing with pure malice. Tuzeremon simply looked at him and grinned.

"Don't you just _love_ these touching family moments?" He smirked. Gallantmon growled angrily and held out his arm. It formed into a huge lance and he aimed it at Tuzeremon. Vahimermon was beside him, tossing a ball of white energy in his hand like it was a baseball.

"Ah, so you are going to fight me too, Vahimermon?" Tuzeremon laughed. "You honestly think that you could defeat me?" Vahimermon bowed his head and shook it.

"Not alone, no. But as you can see, I am _not_ alone. I led you here so it is my duty to make sure no more harm comes to these children." This only made Tuzeremon laugh harder.

"Well then. I suggest you take note of the fact that they are destroying each other. I have yet to attack them again." He motioned to Sakuyamon, who had broken free of Justimon's grip and was now locked in a furious battle with SacreAngewomon, who had simply knocked Megagargomon out of her way so she could fight again.

"You monster!" Gallantmon yelled. "You're turning them against each other!"

"Not quite. You see I am merely controlling _her_." He motioned to SacreAngewomon. "The Digimon Murderer is fighting of her own free will. Her violence and inhumanity is exactly why we must destroy her. You are simply in the way." Gallantmon looked back at his fighting friends. Sakuyamon had just knocked SacreAngewomon into a group of trees with her "Dragon Helix" attack, which had also set fire to more of the forest. Justimon and Megagargomon were still trying to restrain them but it wasn't helping.

In the glow of the fire, that was consuming everything in its path, Gallantmon closed his eyes angrily and faced Tuzeremon again.

"You will pay for this. Even if it means destroying myself in the process, you will pay!" He lifted his lance towards Tuzeremon once more and electricity started swirling around it, gathering at the tip. He pulled back his arm and then threw it forward again, releasing a huge surge of electrical energy that flew at Tuzeremon, aiming directly for his head.

"Lightning Joust!" The ball of white energy in Vahimermon's hand grew a little and he wound up his arm, throwing it out baseball style at Tuzeremon.

"Radiant Meteor!" Both attacks combined into one larger, more powerful force but Tuzeremon simply watched it coming at him with a look of disinterest on his face. When the attack was inches from him it suddenly stopped, hovering in mid air before him.

"Pitiful," he muttered, before the attack shot back at Gallantmon and Vahimermon, twice as powerful as it had been before. Vahimermon's eyes widened a little and he disappeared but Gallantmon wasn't fast enough to move and he was hit so hard that he flew back into the fight going on behind him. The two attacks that SacreAngewomon and Sakuyamon had just launched at each other hit him instead and he yelled out in pain, falling to the ground in a motionless heap.

"No! Takato!" The Tamers watched in horror as he and Guilmon separated, lying in fragmented heaps on the ground.

"Oh my God…" Sakuyamon whispered, her eyes wide with shock. Tuzeremon took this opportunity to release his hold on SacreAngewomon. She shook her head to clear it and looked down, her eyes widening at the sight of her fallen comrades.

"What have we done…" she gasped.

"Only what you wanted to do," Tuzeremon laughed. "You are destroying each other and its _so_ much fun to watch."

"No," Sakuyamon whimpered, shaking her head desperately. Justimon flew down to Takato and Guilmon and lifted them into the air. He handed them to Sakuyamon and pointed at the Temple.

"Take them inside and stay there." His voice was firm and almost angry and Sakuyamon actually flinched at it.

"But…you need me too fight out here!" She said, trying to sound reasonable, but her voice was quivering slightly.

"As long as Tuzeremon can control SacreAngewomon, you aren't going to be able to help us," Megagargomon said. "Besides, Takato and Guilmon will be safer if they have you there to protect them."

"But…"

"Just go!" Justimon snapped. It was so unlike him that Rika found herself unable to protest. She flew away from the battle and Tuzeremon snarled angrily.

"Where are you going? Come back!" He yelled. He made a move to go after her but Justimon, Megagargomon, SacreAngewomon and Vahimermon all stood in his path.

"Back off…" Justimon barked. The Tamers and Vahimermon all stood at the ready and Tuzeremon smirked.

"Fine. If you will stand in my way then I will simply destroy you first!" He raised his arms up and growled.

"Arrowhead Tsunami!" The attack hit them all hard and they were thrown apart. The only good thing the water from the attack did was to put out all the fires. Tuzeremon cackled menacingly and held his arms out in front of him.

"Arrow Catastrophe!" The red and yellow arrows all hit their marks and exploded on contact, leaving the already injured Megas in an even closer state to deletion.

"Now perhaps you will understand that you cannot defeat me…" He lifted his head and his eyes started glowing a deeper crimson than they already were. Flexing his arms and quivering with power, he growled and hissed as his body burst into green flames.

"Gaia Force…" he snapped his head down towards them and raised his arms to the sky. "…Omega!" The earth beneath them was rumbling and parts of it cracked loose. An almighty ripping sound crashed across the area and a huge ball of rock, earth and energy lifted itself from the ground. It burst into green flames – identical to those on Tuzeremon's body – and with a flick of his arms it rolled through the air towards the immobile Megas. Tuzeremon laughed triumphantly as his attack came nearer and nearer to his prey but he gave an angry and startled snarl when it came to a very abrupt halt, inches from its closest target, which happened to be Megagargomon.

"What is the meaning of this?" He roared. "Who dares stop my attack!" He looked around angrily but froze when two huge figures appeared above him. They were merely silhouettes but their identities were unmistakable. Tuzeremon dropped immediately to his knees and bowed his head.

"My Lords." The red from of Zhuqiaomon gave an almighty flap of his wings and Tuzeremon's attack disappeared. "Masters…why have you stopped me from destroying them?" Tuzeremon asked, his voice filled with fear and respect.

"Do not question us, Tuzeremon!" Boomed the white-blue figure of Azulongmon. "Return to the Red Castle immediately!" Tuzeremon stiffened but nodded. He stood up when the two Sovereigns disappeared and growled menacingly at the Tamers.

"Your luck is immeasurable. We will meet again…" With that, he leapt into the air and vanished. Justimon struggled to his feet and looked up to where Tuzeremon had once been.

"Oh-kay…what just happened?" He asked, his hand searching the back of his head in confusion.

"I…dunno." Megagargomon was helping SacreAngewomon to her feet while Vahimermon sat crossed-legged in the air.

"I fear that the Sovereign have only called him back for a short time. We must be on guard and intensify our training if we hope to survive another battle. Come, we must go inside." He turned and floated back to the castle, Justimon and Megagargomon following quietly (and tiredly) behind. SacreAngewomon sighed sadly and de-digivolved to her rookie and human form. Folding her arms across her chest, Alex walked solemnly beside Koronamon, wanting to take as much time to get back to the temple as possible. What if Takato was seriously hurt…or worse because of that stupid battle she and Rika had had. What if he didn't make it? And worst of all, what if Rika didn't either. She had been badly injured when she'd left because, as much as she hated to admit it, Rika and Renamon were not as powerful as Alex and Koronamon. Things were looking worse than ever between Alex and Rika and if they didn't solve their problems soon then it was likely that they never would.

(I DONT KNOW WHY MY SPACES DONT WORK)

Henry was first to enter Alex and Jeri's room, where they had left them with the other kids. When Rika and Renamon had come in with the unconscious forms of Takato and Guilmon they had rushed to put them both on the beds and MarineAngemon had begun healing them at once. Rika was now sitting in the corner of the room, occasionally shooting Takato a terrified look before dropping her gaze again. Her arms were folded across her chest and she refused to talk to anyone, even Renamon. Ryo gave her a half-guilty look, noticing that she was badly hurt too. Renamon had allowed MarineAngemon to heal her but Rika hadn't let him come near her. While Henry walked over to Takato to make sure he was okay, Ryo made his way over to Rika to talk to her. He was angry with her and he had absolutely no intention of apologizing for yelling at her. It was her own fault that she felt like this now. If she hadn't fought back then Takato wouldn't have been hurt. He sat down beside her and looked straight ahead of him. When he and Cyberdramon had de-digivolved Cyberdramon had reverted back to Monodramon because of the energy loss they had sustained during the battle. When Ryo had sat down Monodramon had run over to Rika and hopped into her lap, curling up against her and falling asleep almost instantly. She looked down at him before glancing at Ryo, who wasn't looking at her. She hugged Monodramon to her chest and sighed.

"Look…Ryo. I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to hurt Takato. I just…"

"You just nothing!" He snapped. "What were you _thinking_? Why in the hell did you fight back? You're smarter than that, Rika!"

"I know!" She cried angrily. "But…but, oh God! I don't _know_ why I fought back ok! I was just so damn angry and when she attacked I just…did the first thing I could think of!" The other Tamers were looking at them now and Ryo had stood up, bearing down on her angrily. She wasn't flinching, despite her quilt and the pain she was in. It was at that moment that Alex and Koronamon came in. Every (conscious) eye in the room turned to them and Rika scowled. She threw Ryo a very dirty look before stalking out of the room. Alex watched her go for a second before running after her.

"Rika, wait!" She called.

"Stay away from me!" Was Rika's vicious reply before their voices died away. Ryo, who was shaking with anger, gave a frustrated sigh before walking out of the room too, taking the route leading away from Rika and Alex. The room was deathly quiet as everyone stared helplessly at the door.

"Uh…what just happened?" All eyes turned to the bed and Jeri gave a delighted squeal.

"Takato! You're okay!" She launched herself at him and hugged him so tightly that he was in danger of suffocating.

"I'm f-fine, Jeri," he managed to gasp out while trying to pry her off his neck. When he finally had her off Takato turned to Henry who was holding a tired Alice in his arms.

"So…what's going on? What happened?" Henry sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Alice into his lap. Jeri gave her a confused look at this but said nothing, intending to pump her for information later. Takato didn't even notice. He was too wrapped up in Henry's retelling of the battle and the argument between Rika and Ryo.

"I don't get it. Are you saying that Rika and Alex did this to me?" He asked. Henry nodded and Takato frowned. "Well, I'm sure they didn't mean it."

"No, they didn't, but it was still wrong of them to be fighting in the first place," Henry replied.

"Is that why Ryo was so angry with Rika?" Henry nodded again and pulled Alice closer, using her as a comfort source while he thought.

"I've never seen him so upset before. I mean he's usually very controlled and calm. He really blew up at her. And you know what Rika's like. If you yell, she yells right back," he said quietly.

"Yeah, I know…she's kinda scary when she's like that. What about Alex? Is she still being controlled?"

"No, he released her when they almost killed you. I think he wanted to let her see what she had done."

"What I'm more concerned with is why the Sovereign stopped Tuzeremon from killing you guys," Alice piped in. She had been silent ever since Rika and Renamon had arrived with Takato and Guilmon. "After all, they _are_ the ones sending the Devas over to kill Rika and anyone helping her. Why would they stop their second in command from doing just that?" Henry sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know. If you ask me, this whole thing is getting far to complicated."

"I agree," Takato said, his hand searching the back of his head on confusion.

"Maybe Vahimermon could help us understand…" Jeri suggested. They all stared at her for a moment and she blushed. "Well…it seemed like a good idea…"

"That's a brilliant idea, Jeri," Henry said reassuringly. "Vahimermon's a Deva so he should have some idea of what's going on."

"Takatomon…pass the peanut butter…" They all face vaulted comically when Guilmon yawned in his sleep and simply rolled over.

"He even dreams about food…sheesh…"

(I DONT KNOW WHY MY SPACES WONT WORK)

"Rika…please, will you just _listen_ to me?" Alex grabbed Rika's arm when they came to the Temple's main hall.

"Listen to what, Alex? More lies? I think I've had enough of those to last me a life time!" Rika snapped, pulling Monodramon, who she had neglected to put down after she had stormed off, closer to her chest.

"I never lied to you about anything, Rika. I just didn't want to tell you because I thought it would be a little too much for you to handle after grandma's death…"

"Don't you dare call her that!" Rika hissed. "She is _not_ your grandmother. And for your information, I'm not as weak as you seem to think I am. I would've handled it just fine!"

"I know that now but…please Rika, I don't want to fight with you. You're my sister…"

"No, I'm _not_!"

"Yes, you are…and I know that you're angry with me but I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do to take it back but if I could I would." Rika shook her head and turned away.

"You don't get it. I'm not angry with you because you lied. I understand that, despite the fact that it was still wrong. Right now the only reason I'm angry with you is because _he_ left because of you!" She was breathing heavily and Alex gave her a stunned look.

"W-what are you talking about? Made who leave?"

"Our father! He only left because he wanted you! He hated me and he still does. It's your fault he left Mom and me…it's your fault that I had to live without my father. Just because I wasn't Miss-Perfect-Daddy's-little-angel!"

"Oh yeah! Well its because you weren't Miss-Perfect-Daddy's-little-angel that I had to grow up without my mom! That's no better than what you went through, Rika. In fact, I'd say its worse!"

"Worse than your own mother trying to turn you into your sister?" Rika snapped in return. This silenced Alex and Rika glared at her angrily.

"No…it's not worse than that and I'm sorry you had to live with that Rika. But that was mom's decision, not mine." Rika dropped her gaze and shut her eyes. Alex was right about that, she knew that. It was her mother's own fault that she had pushed Rika away. But it still didn't make her feel any better. It did, however, make her realize that she wasn't angry with Alex so much as her mother and father. For what they had put her and her sister through. Turning back around to look at Alex, Rika's eyes softened a little.

"Look, I don't want to argue with you about this anymore. I'm sorry I blamed everything on you…I know it's not really your fault…" Alex smiled warmly at this. She knew how much that had taken for Rika to do.

"Thanks and I'm sorry I never told you all of this earlier."

"Whatever…" Rika glanced back down the corridor they had come from and frowned. There was still one argument left unsolved.

"You're worried Ryo's still upset with you, aren't you." Alex smiled at her sister and actually rolled her eyes. "Don't be thick. He's probably just a little pissed off that we fought each other like we did. He won't stay mad at you for long." Rika turned to her and hitched Monodramon a little higher into her arms.

"You don't even know him. How do _you_ know he doesn't completely despise me?" She asked, although she knew he didn't.

"I don't need to know a guy to know that he won't stay mad at someone he totally adores for very long. You do realize that right?"

"That he like's me? Of course I know that. He told me," she said with a light shrug, wondering why in the hell she was telling Alex something so private. Alex giggled and Rika rolled her eyes.

"You mean he actually _told_ you?"

"Yes…why?"

"How kawaai!! What did you tell him back?"

"What!?" Rika gave her sister a horrified look. "That has nothing to do with you!" Alex only giggled again and Rika frowned.

"Aw, come on, _Sis_." Rika's frown deepened at this. "You can tell _me_…ooh, did he kiss you yet?" Rika's eyebrows shot so high that they were in danger of disappearing in her hair.

"God!" She said in exasperation. "You're even worse than Jeri!" Still laughing madly, Alex just watched as he sister walked off in search of Ryo, glad that things between them were finally getting better.

(I DONT KNOW WHY MY SPACES WONT WORK)

Two eyes stared darkly into the bright screen before them, the only light in an otherwise black room. A sinister sneer spread to those eyes and a calm, evil laughter echoed through the quiet room.

"So…you are beginning to resist me, oh _Mighty_ Lords. I guess I'll just have to work a little harder, won't I?" The laughter became louder and more hysterical as the computer screen lit up the figure. Displayed before him was the entire battle, the Sovereign and the Tamers, each boxed neatly into their own little files.

(I DONT KNOW WHY MY SPACES WONT WORK)

There you go! All finished! I'll try to post the next chapter soon but I won't be at home from 26 December. I'm going to my gran's house because my parents are going fishing and I we go to the same place every year, I'm sure you can see why I'm bored with the place.

Kaede: Hey! Would you mind calling Koronamon off! He's chewing my shoes again!

Heh heh…good boy Koronamon…

Kaede: I heard that you Baka!

KitsuneRika-Wolf sticks out her tongue and pulls her eye anime style Neener neener _nee_ner. Ha ha! Go Koronamon go!! Bye folks, have fun during your holidays!

Kaede: Ah! That ones' still on my foot you over stuffed Dino!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! Go Koronamon go!! Woohoo!!!!

(SORRY ABOUT THE LONG WAIT BUT MY COMPUTER IS BEING A BIATCH.I CANT EVEN ACCESS THE INTERNET, LET ALONE FANFICTION. HAPPY HOLIDAYS)


	20. Information comes at a price

Hi again. Sorry it took SO long for me to update but my computer is still on the fritz. It flat out refuses to open my Internet explorer. All I can do is check my e-mail 0-o I know, frustrating huh? I had to go to my mom's office to update this!

Well, too Dark Quivit. Tuzeremon (Two-zera-mon) isn't the Digimon Murderer, Rika is just thought you'd like to know that. Which joke did Alex play on Rika? The thing about her family? Coz that wasn't a joke. I was being serious J Also, about the Deva names…they don't actually mean anything heh heh…I kind of just draw them in my spare time and then come up with some weird name that I think fits. Another note, Tuzeremon is second in command of the Devas. The Sovereign created him to be like a commander sort of thing. Then there's Zihuralamon (Zee-hue-rah-la-mon) who is first in command. He answers only to the Sovereign. I hope you and your…er…accomplices are enjoying my story. I recommend you read 'There for you' and 'Tamers meet the Digidestined' by C.Queen. Both excellent stories.

Thanks for the reviews everyone. I'll get back to my story now. **P.S-** Just for interests sake but Beelzemon's name comes from the word Beelzebub. Beelzebub was the prince of darkness and fallen angels, which would explain why Beelzemon looks like a dark angel.

Chapter 20 (YAY!) 

Information comes at a price

The training had intensified and the tension had doubled in the Temple. Everyone seemed to be so high strung that the smallest irritation could cause explosive tempers and furious arguments. Which was probably why Kazu and Kenta were keeping as much distance between themselves and Rika, who seemed tenser than anyone, as possible. Vahimermon and Piximon were driving them mercilessly on and they were all exhausted out of their minds.

"Get up and fight!" Using his sword as an anchor, Ryo heaved himself off the floor and stood weakly on his feet, before raising his weapon again. Rika, who was bent over slightly from fatigue and pain, was breathing heavily and sweat was running down the side of her face. Vahimermon watched them for a moment before charging forward. Rika and Ryo readied themselves and, at the last possible moment, leapt apart out of harm's way. As soon as her feet touched the ground Rika leapt forward again and brought her sword down at Vahimermon, who barely managed to dodge it. Ryo had followed up her attack by leaping high into the air, spinning once and swinging his sword sideways at Vahimermon, who was too busy dodging Rika to notice. The blow caught his arm and cut into his flesh, making him yell out in shock. He leapt away from the Tamers and landed heavily on his feet, clutching his wounded arm.

"Nice plan, Pumpkin," Ryo said, gasping for breath.

"It wasn't my idea, Ryo," she replied just as tiredly. Vahimermon looked momentarily stunned before he smiled and nodded at them.

"You planned that attack. I'm impressed. Your fighting skills have improved immensely. Well done, you are now ready for the second stage of your training." With that he quietly left the training room, leaving them to stare after him in total relief.

"Does this mean that waking up at five in the morning and training till seven at night is over?" Ryo asked, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"You only woke up at five? He's had me up from four for two weeks! Ever since Tuzeremon attacked us he's been making me run up and down those steps in front of the temple every morning!" Ryo laughed lightly at her and shrugged.

"I guess he thought you needed more training…"

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean!" She snapped, although a smile was tugging at her lips.

"Oh…nothing."

"I'll show you nothing!" She tackled him hard and they fell to the floor. Ryo laughed and rolled them over so that he had her pinned to the floor.

"Give up yet, Rika?"

"Not on your life!" Using her legs, she tossed him off her and within seconds she had him pinned down instead.

"_Give up yet_," she smirked, in a very good impression of his voice. Ryo grinned and winked at her.

"I see you like it on top…" This statement shocked her so much that she actually let go of his arms and sat upright.

Big mistake.

Ryo flew onto his feet and swept Rika up into his arms before tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Ryo Akiyama you put me down right now!" She laughed.

"I don't think so, Luv. You look a little red, I think you need to lie down." She laughed and tried to shake herself off his shoulder but he simply held on tighter and continued on his way back to their room. Eventually she relaxed and simply propped her head up on her arm, leaning her elbow against his back. Ryo walked them right to their room and dumped her unceremoniously on her bed. She rolled onto her back and rolled her eyes at him.

"You're a pain, Ryo," she said, smirking up at him.

"And you're beautiful so I guess that makes us even." She tossed a pillow at him, which he caught and threw right back, catching her arm.

"How on earth does that make us even?" She sat up and crossed her arms, giving him a questioning look and flushing slightly from the compliment. Ryo plopped down on the bed beside her and grinned.

"Like this." And he leaned in towards her and pressed a light, quick kiss to her lips. She rolled her eyes at him again when he pulled away and shook her head.

"You know, ever since I agreed to go out with you you've been making less and less sense." Ryo laughed and shrugged.

"I think I'm just a little worn out from all this training," he replied. Rika sighed and flopped back onto her back.

"Tell me about it. But we still have more training coming up and by the way Vahimermon talks about it I'm guessing it's not going to be any easier than what we just finished doing." Ryo sighed and flopped back too, folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the deep blue canopy over Rika's bed.

"Don't remind me. I don't want to have to even think about using that sword ever again!" There was a sudden knock on the door and Ryo shot off Rika's bed before whoever it was could come in and see them together. By unspoken agreement they had decided to keep their relationship a secret so as not to put either of them in any further unnecessary danger. Henry walked into the room after Ryo called that it was ok. He was with Alice, who was holding her laptop under her arm (as usual). Henry walked over to Ryo with the VDT while Alice approached Rika. She had finally submitted to Alice's proposal of using her laptop to get rid of her scar. The idea had seemed a little less off-putting after Alice had managed to completely heal Rika's wounds two weeks before. While she sat on Rika's bed, typing furiously away, Henry sat down on Ryo's bed.

"We finally got word back from Yamachi," Henry said and both Rika and Ryo's interest suddenly flared.

"Well? What did he say?" Rika asked eagerly.

"He says he agrees with Vahimermon's assumption. The Sovereign are being controlled by some kind of external interference," Alice said, her eyes glued to the bright screen of her laptop.

"But is it a human or Digimon related interference?" Ryo asked.

"They're not really sure but he says he's pretty confident that the Sovereign are being controlled from somewhere in the Real World. He says someone or some_thing_ is feeding a virus into their systems and using it to control them."

"Well that would explain why Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon stopped Tuzeremon from killing you guys," Rika stated. "But it doesn't explain why the Sovereign are out to get me."

"Well…actually Yamachi had a theory about that too. He wanted to know if you have any enemies," Henry asked seriously.

"Well, that's a stupid question," Rika replied flatly. "Of course I have enemies. In case you've forgotten, I _was_ the Digimon Ice Queen before I met you guys. I made Renamon do a lot of bad things and made a hell of a lot of enemies in the process."

"Not to mention you were also the Digimon Champion after Ryo left. I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty sure the people you creamed, especially the guys, wouldn't have been very happy about being beaten by a younger girl," Alice said thoughtfully. Henry seemed a little less keen on the idea now.

"Well that doesn't exactly help us. We need something a little more specific," he sighed. Rika glowered at him and crossed her arms.

"Well, I'm sorry I don't keep a record off all the people in the world who despise me," she snapped. Henry winced at this.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"Forget it," Ryo said. "We're all under a lot of pressure. I think it might be a good idea to take a day or two to relax. Everyone's been so busy training it'll be nice to be able to kick back."

"I like that idea," Rika agreed.

"Yeah, me too," Alice nodded.

"Let's just hope Vahimermon, Piximon and the Devas agree to that. Anyway, I need to call Yamachi again. Alice?" He stood and offered her his hand, which she took before leaving the room with him. When they were gone Ryo leapt of his bed and tackled Rika down onto hers. He leaned over her, pinning her arms above her head and grinned wickedly.

"Now…where were we?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hi, sorry the chapter was so short. I just wanted to post this to show you guys that I'm still here. I figured it's taken me long enough to put Rika and Ryo together, now it's official Smiles. Anyway. I'll try and not take so long next time. Cheers until next time.


	21. There's nothing to fear

Hi folks! Man it's been AGES since I updated…sorry about that, but like I've said time and again (and I'll bet your tired of hearing it) my computer is being a real bitch and stuffing me around. I had to cancel my internet connection completely but for some strange reason the connection program still pops up every five minutes or so! It's quite annoying (O o) Well I'm sure you guys have been waiting for this chapter for long enough so here it is! (By the way, my original plan for the ending has had to be changed because Bandai used it (the bastards…). I was originally going to use the idea of the kids becoming Digimon but then the Frontier season came up and I figured people would think I stole the idea or turned the story into a crossover. I might still use it but I'm thinking of alternatives.)

Chapter 21 (At last)

There's nothing to fear…I think

It had been two days since Henry had asked Rika about the enemies she might have made in her past and, despite how rigorous the training had become and despite her secret trysts with Ryo, she was finding it hard to concentrate on much else. How many people could she have angered when she'd been so wild? And what had she done that had made someone…or someones…try to kill her? She couldn't for the life of her remember anything particularly horrible that she had done. Nothing really stood out and the more she thought about it the less she concentrated on her training. They had been in the Digital world for almost a month now, which, in Digital terms would classify as a full year (I thank Tokomon from Digital World one for this information). She wondered how long it would take before Yamaki could trace the virus being fed into the Sovereign and how long it would take to find whoever was doing this once they'd tracked his PC. She was just wondering why she couldn't remember anyone who had threatened her life more seriously than other people had when she felt a sharp blow to her head.

"Ow! Vahimermon! What was that for?" She snapped angrily, rubbing her head.

"Well," he said sternly. "Since, on your request, I am no longer connected to your mind I will need to resort to more physical means of reclaiming your attention when I find you SLACKING OFF!" He crossed his arms irritably and Ryo snickered beside Rika.

"Oh, shut up," she said grinning lightly at him. Renamon and Cyberdramon watched this exchange in silence although a small smile was tugging at Renamon's mouth.

"Now if Rika is ready to pay attention we can carry on with our training," Vahimermon said. He was hovering in the air before them, guiding them through what, to Ryo, felt more like dancing lessons than training. Although it was no longer physical training and no longer constant fighting, it was no easier than anything they had done before. Vahimermon was having them Bio-merge and revert over and over again, each time making them do it at the same time. If one of them said it out of time or didn't Bio-merge fast enough he would make them start over again. During their training, Rika, Renamon, Ryo and Cyberdramon (like Henry, Takato, Guilmon and Terriermon) had realized that their auras had somehow been combined to form one common aura split amongst them. This, which had taken Vahimermon a very long time to explain, had made their bodies act in unison when it came to internally physical aspects like breathing and heart rate. It had explained why when Rika had gotten angry Ryo had calmed her down using his own emotions. However, the little shock treatment they'd been given on their first day in the temple hadn't given them the ability to move or think alike. This was what they were training to do right now.

And Ryo hated it.

"Now remember, clear your minds. If I find anyone slacking again (at this Vahimermon looked pointedly at Rika) their punishment will be most severe." Rika rolled her eyes angrily but let out a breath and shut her eyes, trying to clear her head of all thoughts. But there was a nagging little voice in the back of her mind telling her – in a voice suspiciously like Ryo's and which she was sure belonged to him – how boring and stupid this was. She tried to shut it out but in doing so almost missed Vahimermon's mark for her to Bio-merge. She held out her D-Ark in perfect unison with Ryo but when they called out "Bio-merge activate" Ryo was a split second behind her. Vahimermon rewarded him with a solid smack to the head before he made them do it again. Thankfully this time they spoke in time and the light of their Digivolution combined since they were standing so close together. But Rika's digivolution was a second or two slower than Ryo's so his side of the light faded first. And, of course, Vahimermon made them do it again and again…and again. By the end of the day they had said Bio-merge so many times that it had begun to lose its meaning. They had made very little progress because nine times out of ten they would make mistakes and Vahimermon said that they would not move on to the actual dual digivolution until they could Bio-merge in perfect unison.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Vahimermon muttered in frustration, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think all of you need to get out of the temple for a while." Ryo perked up at this considerably.

"You mean your giving us a break because we're working so hard?"

"No," Vahimermon said irritably. "I'm giving you a break because you're driving me insane!" Rika and Ryo looked at each other and grinned lightly. Who cared why? They were getting a break and that was all they needed to know. Vahimermon crossed his legs and floated into the air, sitting as if he were on an invisible sofa.

"I want you all to leave the temple level for the rest of the day and perhaps tomorrow. But after that you must come straight back here, is that understood?" He looked at them sternly and they nodded before hurrying out of the room, eager to get as much free time as they could out of their meager holiday.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I can't believe that Vahimermon and Piximon are actually letting us take some time off," Suzy said happily as the Tamers strolled through the snowy fields of the fourth level of the Digital world. They had all agreed to stay close in case of a Deva attack. Frigimon were running around the fields laughing, playing and, ironically, building snowmon (). Kenta was walking slightly behind the tamers with MarineAngemon floating at his shoulder when a snowball flew out of nowhere and hit MarineAngemon so hard that it knocked him out of the sky and into the snow. Kenta hurried to pull him out by his tail, which was the only thing visible in the snow, before he looked around and saw a group of five or six Frigimon standing to the right of the Tamers, snickering behind their hands and pointing at him. Grinning he picked up a hand full of snow and tossed it at them. His snowball flew true and hit one of the digimon right in the middle of his forehead, effectively shutting them all up or a second before they all grinned and started scooping up handfuls of snow too. Kenta's eyes widened slightly as all of the Frigimon threw their snowballs at him at once. The Tamers, who hadn't noticed that Kenta had stopped, all paused when four snowballs flew past them, one hitting Ai and another catching Guilmon on the shoulder. Looking back they saw Kenta standing a little behind them with a snowball in one hand and throwing a second. MarineAngemon was struggling to pickup a snowball he had made but was knocked down by one of the Frigimon's snowballs in the process. Looking at each other the Tamers all grinned and rushed to join Kenta's side of the snowball fight. But since it was six Frigimon against twelve humans and eleven digimon Lopmon, Guilmon, Ai, Ryo, Impmon, Suzy, MarineAngemon and Guardromon joined the Frigimon to make the teams even.

And thus the snow wars ensued.

The Frigimon used their ice based powers to build a huge fortress for their team to hide behind, forcing the others to take refuge behind a hurriedly made hill that Renamon, Remoraemon and Terriermon had put together with mounds of snow.

Snowballs were flying left right and center and, in all the excitement, the Tamers forgot all about the problems they were facing and the fact that they were training to save their own lives. Takato, Rika and Henry decided to launch a sneak attack on the Frigimon's team by getting around to the unprotected back of their fortress but Guilmon spotted them and before they had gotten half way there they were forced to run back as a barrage of snowballs flew at them. When they got back they saw that Terriermon, Remoraemon, Mako and Kenta were loading countless snowballs onto Cyberdramon's wings and into his arms. Grinning at each other the Tamers realized what was going to happen and Alice, Alex and Rika started making a huge snowball to add to the little 'plan'. They gave it to Renamon who, under Rika's instructions, followed Cyberdramon into firing range of the Frigimon's team. When they were ready Cyberdramon drew back his wings and arms and flung them forward like a catapult, hurling the many snowballs over the walls of the fortress and into the midst of the Frigimon's team. In their confusion Renamon leapt onto the walls of the fortress and leaping into the air dropped the huge snowball over them and used her Diamond Storm attack to break it into many smaller balls that hit the entire Frigimon team. But their victory was short lived because some of the Frigimon had used the plan against Takato's team by sneaking around to their shelter and hurling snowballs at them when they were cheering for Renamon and Cyberdramon. The result was that both teams were left soaked and laughing hysterically. That was when they all abandoned their shelters and the snowball fight became more heated and exciting. Snowballs were flying everywhere as each team got more and more wet and wound up. Ryo threw a snowball that caught Rika in the side of the head and she reciprocated with her own snowball that missed Ryo but hit Lopmon. She in turn attacked Rika with four snowballs, using her ears and arms to throw them. Kazu, Kenta and Takato were throwing snowballs in a complete frenzy at the Frigimon while Alice, Alex and Henry attacked anything that moved. They had seemed to forget that they were on teams and started attacking Rika and Renamon.

After that, things got confused and everyone attacked everyone else. None of them could remember ever having so much fun. Cyberdramon, who never usually fooled around like this unless he was in rookie form, was throwing snowballs all over the place, forgetting his own strength and knocking everyone over each time he hit them. But everyone was having so much fun that no one seemed to care until eventually they all ganged up on him and attacked him at once so that he was covered in so much snow you could barely see him. The snowball fight went on for hours and hours until night fell and even then they kept playing. While trying to dodge the combined attacks of Guilmon, Ai and a Frigimon Ryo, not looking where he was going, ran right into Rika and they both fell face first into the snow. No one seemed to notice them in the dark and Ai, Guilmon and the Frigimon turned to attack Takato, Renamon and Mako instead, thinking Ryo had escaped into the dark. Rika looked up at Ryo and smiled, her face flushed from the long day of playing. She was warm all over from all the exercise, as was Ryo and they could feel the heat now more than ever since they were no longer moving around. Ryo gazed down at Rika for a moment before grinning and leaning in to kiss her. Forgetting herself (and all of the tamers and digimon around her) Rika slipped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Kazu, who was dodging a snowball from Jeri, stepped up to Rika and Ryo in the snow and when his foot caught on Ryo's leg he looked down at them and his eye's widened for a second in shock before he grinned. He gave a loud wolf whistle and burst out laughing.

"Woah! Get a room!" He laughed causing all the Tamers and Digimon to look over and see Rika and Ryo making out in the snow. Ryo leapt off Rika who sat up, blushing furiously, her heart pounding terribly in her throat. They had all seen…every one of them. In a moment of exhilarated distraction she had slipped up and now everyone knew. Rika and Ryo shared a horrified look while the Tamers all laughed at them.

"Well, well, well," Henry snickered. "When did this happen?"

"Yeah," Jeri laughed. "This is a new development." The Frigimon were all looking at them with smiles on their snowy faces. Sensing that the game was probably over now they thanked the Tamers for the fun before biding them all goodbye. The Tamers waved at them and then turned back to Rika and Ryo who were sitting in the snow, breathing a little heavily and looking horrified.

"So when exactly did you guys decide to start sucking face?" Kazu asked with a huge, triumphant grin plastered across his face.

"We all knew it would happen sooner or later but we never knew it would be _this_ soon, Red!" Impmon snickered. Rika glared at him irritably and Ryo reached out to her with his mind. It still felt weird doing this and he hoped that once they were done with the dual digivolution training it would go away but for now he was grateful that he could make her feel better without voicing why she was upset.

Henry, who could see all too clearly that Rika and Ryo weren't in a talking mood, cleared his throat and all the tamers looked over at him.

"It's getting late and I don't know about you guys but I'm getting cold. Maybe we should set up camp." Rika gave him a grateful smile and he nodded to her.

"But where are we going to sleep. We can't all just lie down in the middle of nowhere and expect not to get attacked," Suzy said.

"What about the forest?" Mako suggested. The Tamers all agreed that this would be the best place to go for some coverage so they trudged, shivering and tired, through the deep snow.

It didn't take them long to set up camp and it took even less time for them all to fall asleep around the warmth of the fire they'd made; all of them…except one. Rika lay tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, dead tired but unable to sleep. She sighed irritably, staring up at the leafy canopy above her head. Minutes that felt like hours passed by until hours really _had_ passed and still she found no peace. It was getting to a time that she was sure was close to dawn when a thick, dark grey fog rolled into the forest, cloaking the ground so thickly it looked almost black. She could barely see Ryo and Guilmon who were both lying barely a foot from her on either side of her. Sitting up she thought it strange that the fire, which was burning just as brightly as ever was not only giving no light at all but also making no noise. In fact, the whole forest seemed to have gone quiet. Looking around she realized that she could no longer see the other Tamers or any of the Digimon. She felt suddenly and completely alone in the forest and yet she didn't seem to mind. An oddly calm feeling had swept over her, as if she no longer felt emotion. All she felt was the fog and the silence and all she knew was that she needed to follow the fog. She felt empty but didn't mind. Standing up she walked forward, hardly registering what she was doing and not caring at all. She followed the fog deeper into a forest she could no longer see, trusting the fog to lead her safely. All would be well once she found the edge of the thick fogginess…all would be well.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ryo yawned sleepily and sat up, rubbing his eyes and wondering how early it was. He stretched and looked around him, trying to see through his hazy morning-vision. It took him a full ten seconds to realize that it wasn't his eyes that were hazy, but the forest itself. Everything was covered in a very thick and very dark fog that practically screamed evil.

_Well this can't be good_, he thought dryly. Feeling around him for Rika, who he knew had been lying less than a foot from him, he was horrified when he found Guilmon instead. That wasn't right…Guilmon had been lying on Rika's other side. But if she wasn't there then where was she?

"Guilmon…Guilmon, wake up." He shook the dino-digimon roughly at the shoulder but Guilmon merely rolled over and started snoring.

"No thanks, Takatomon, I couldn't eat another bite…well maybe just one more," he muttered sleepily. Ryo sighed and looked around. But it was no use. He couldn't even see the fire let alone another person. Remembering that Takato had been lying next to Guilmon, Ryo leaned over the Digimon and felt around for him. Finding his shoulder he gave it a good shake and, to his relief, Takato woke up.

"Whasgoinon?" He asked groggily, his words slurred together so badly that Ryo barely understood him.

"Takato, Rika's gone and I don't like this mist, there's something weird about this forest…" Takato shook his head to rid himself of his sleepiness and rubbed his eyes.

"Rika's gone? Gone where?" He asked. He was _clearly_ not awake yet.

"Snap out of it, Takato and wake the others. Rika's _missing_ and we need to find her. I don't like this fog…" Takato did as he was told and none of the Tamers were very happy with the fact that they'd been woken up. When Ryo explained they all seemed ready to start searching; all of them except Kazu and Kenta, who had both fallen asleep on their feet. Guardromon lifted them up and walked with them. But Henry stopped them after barely five minutes.

"This isn't working guys, I can hardly see my own nose in front of my face. If we keep walking aimlessly through the forest like this we're going to get separated. We need to come up with a way to make sure no one else gets lost."

"Why don't we tie each other together," Ai suggested.

"And put Renamon in front since she can sense Rika's presence. That way we'll have some direction ta go in 'stead a walkin round in the dark like a buncha idiots," Impmon added.

"Good idea," Henry smiled. "Okay, so does anyone have any rope?" Alice did and with a bit of feeling about they had everyone tied together with Renamon in front and they were back to walking around. Renamon, however, couldn't feel _any_ kind of presence, let alone Rika's. They trudged through the cold, crunchy, snowy undergrowth four ages, blind, tired and feeling slightly claustrophobic in the stuffy haze until at last the fog started clearing a little. Feeling hope rise up through the group the Tamers and Digimon picked up the pace, following the first signs of light they had seen in hours. Surely Rika would be there were it was clearer and easier to breathe.

The fog stopped almost completely at the edge of a clearing, turning into a thin mist that ran over the empty area as it left the trees. The clearing was wide and the group crowded around the edge of it, peering hopefully into the dimness for any signs of life. Renamon, who had been feeling Rika's presence for the past hour (albeit rather weakly), was the first to spot the lonely figure lying in the center of the clearing. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight and all the Tamers and Digimon followed her gaze to see why. Ryo stepped forward, his heart stopping for a second before he saw Renamon running towards the figure, the rope that had been tied to her ankle snapped off and dangling from her leg. Ryo hastily untied himself and followed her with the rest of the group close behind him. They all hung back as Renamon kneeled beside Rika, who was lying face down in the snow as if she had simply collapsed where she'd been standing.

"She's…alive," Renamon said and they all let out a breath of relief.

"What do you think happened?" Terriermon whispered, his eyes drooping. He felt strangely sleepy…

"I…dunno," Henry answered, yawning widely. He too felt very tired all of a sudden.

"Is it just me or does it feel like that walk took forever? I'm bushed," Kazu yawned.

"Yeah, me too," Suzy said, sitting down to rest for a while.

"I feel like I could sleep forever," Alice muttered drowsily. Renamon's eyes were drooping when she looked around the group. Jeri and Suzy had already fallen fast asleep and Takato and Guilmon collapsed as she was watching them. But she didn't see the rest of them fall because she too found it suddenly very difficult to fight off the overwhelming sleepiness that had overcome her. Before she realized it was going to happen she was asleep, lying beside Rika in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by sleeping Tamers and Digimon.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

When Jeri woke up she found herself lying in Shinjuku Park with her head resting on her mother's lap. It was a clear sunny day and she felt happy and well rested. Sitting up she looked up at her mother's face and her heart swelled with the most unimaginable joy. It was overwhelming. She didn't believe it possible that she could feel any happier until Leomon walked over to them and smiled down at her. She felt like nothing in the world could possibly go wrong.

"Hey, you guys better get over here quick before these three eat all the food." Jeri looked over at her Father, brother, Calumon and Remoraemon, who were all sitting at a picnic table fully laden with food her father had prepared. Her brother was shoveling everything he could reach into his mouth and Remoraemon and Calumon were eating everything else. Laughing happily Jeri and her mother joined them at the table while Leomon stood behind Jeri. He was smiling approvingly at Remoraemon and seemed perfectly content. Jeri was just tucking in to a helping of perfectly prepared steak when dark clouds rushed across the sky, blocking out the sun. Jeri looked up at the sky curiously, wondering if there was going to be a flash storm or something. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky momentarily before all went dark again. But another flash of lightning lit the sky up seconds later followed by another. A fourth bolt struck the ground nearby their picnic table and then a fierce wind suddenly tore across the park blowing away most of the things on the table.

"What's going on?" Jeri cried fearfully.

"Come on, we need to get somewhere safe!" Her dad yelled. But he had hardly finished saying this when another huge bolt of lightning came tearing down the sky. It struck Jeri's mom with a deafening bang and the thunder that followed rattled the tabletop off its legs. Jeri cried out when she heard her mom scream and saw her fall to the ground. But she had no time to go to her because another stream of lightning struck Leomon and he was deleted halfway through his pained yell. Jeri felt her heart shatter with his Data. She had lost them both…right before her eyes.

"No!" She cried desperately. "Mom! Leomon! No, please don't leave me!" The tears running down her face were masked in the sudden downpour of rain but she couldn't have cared less. Lightning was striking all around her and the rain and wind stung her face as she fell to her knees beside her mother's lifeless body. Her dad and brother had disappeared and Remoraemon and Calumon were nowhere to be seen. She was all alone, in the middle of a terrible storm, with her mother's dead body sprawled out in front of her. The sorrow was terrible; it was all consuming. Never in her life could she remember feeling like this. She leaned back, turned her face up to the sky and let out an agonizing scream that echoed through the darkness long after she had stopped. She fell forward onto her hands, gripping the grass so tightly that she cut into her hands with her own nails. Tears were streaming down her face faster than the rain and awful, heart-rending sobs racked her body as she wept.

She was all alone.

When at last she opened her eyes the rain had not slowed and the wind was just as fierce as ever. Lightning was raining down from the sky as if Thor himself was controlling the storm. In all the ferocity of the storm Jeri felt as if everything had gone quiet. She could see the wind and rain and lightning but her own sorrow was deafening. She stared down at her mother and felt her heart break.

But wait…this wasn't right?

Hadn't her mother died before she had met Leomon? Before Takato had shown her that Digimon were real? Before she had known Takato? And hadn't she watched Leomon die in the Digital world? Hadn't she seen Beelzemon load his data? This couldn't be right could it? She stood up and looked around her, the wind and rain whipping her face and stinging her cheeks. But then, she realized, it was really hurting her at all. In fact…she wasn't even wet. And then she remembered. Rika's disappearance. The Fog. The overwhelming sleepiness. This _wasn't_ real. It was a dream! And then, as if her face had been splashed with ice cold water, Jeri sat up, spluttering and shaken, in the misty clearing. She looked around her and saw all the Tamers and Digimon lying around her. She stood up quickly and ran to Takatos' sleeping form.

"Now what?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

ShadowFoxFolk: Another chapter down! YAY! I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've actually had this done for a while but I left the chapter that comes before this at home and my mom hasn't e-mailed it to me. I'm in university now and I'm seven hours from home so leaving the previous chapter at home kind of dampened my spirits in respect to writing so I haven't done much of it lately. Anywho…I'll try to get the next one up soon but it might take a while coz I have a lot of tests and assignments due and I'm actually writing this in between classes…hehe…

As I'm sure you noticed, I changed my name…again. But I might change it back again. I'll give a cookie to anyone who comes up with a cool name for me that involves shadows, Renamon and foxes. Plus you can have a guest appearance in my story as a Digimon of your choice

Ok, I hope you guys liked this chapter and are eager to read the next one. I'll be waiting for your reviews. Love ya all! You guys ROCK! Toddles!


	22. The absence of fear

Hi! It's me again! Yay! I'm back with another chapter! I'm sure you noticed that the tamers have been put into a nightmare inducing sleep, making them live their worst…er…nightmares… Anyway, since it would take one whole chapter to describe each Tamers fears, I'm only gonna show you a few; I'll leave the rest to your imagination. Except Kazu, his greatest fear is Rika Ok, I don't have much else to say except thanks to all the people who are still reading this after that really long wait…ehehe… Thanks for the reviews guys! You rock!

Ok, on with the show! PS – The Digimon are all having the same nightmare…or at least, similar since they each have their own partner. PPS – the girl who plays Rika's voice (Mellisa Fahn) also plays Gaz from Invader Zim…Gaz and Gir are cool

Chapter 22

The absence of fear

Ryo sat up weakly and rubbed his aching head. He looked around and, to his utter confusion, found him self it total darkness.

"What the…Where am I?" Getting to his feet, he found that, where ever he was, it was cold…very cold.

"Oh-kay…something tells me I'm not in Digi-Kansas anymore." He looked around for some sign of the others, of Rika, but found only darkness. And then, as if some one far away had flipped a switch, a tiny light blinked into life. Ryo watched curiously as more little lights followed until he realized he was looking at a city or, more precisely, Tokyo city. Deciding that he much preferred the lights of the city to the darkness around him Ryo hurriedly made his way towards Tokyo. He walked for what felt like ages until he finally reached the outskirts of town. He walked deeper into the city, feeling a massive sense of relief wash over him when he saw the first few pedestrians. The city was bustling with life and Ryo smiled.

"Just like before we left," he said to himself. "I wonder where the others are." He walked deep into the city until he reached Shinjuku and the park in its centre. Surely the Tamers would be waiting for him at Guilmon's old hideout. That was, after all, where they always met if they got separated in battle. He stepped into the park and froze when a high, terrified scream rang through the night air. His blood ran cold at the sound and he felt shiver after shiver run down his spine when the scream was followed by terrified cries for help and more screaming. Ryo ran desperately through the park, following the screams and cries. It was chaos. The entire city seemed to be crying for help.

And then he saw it.

As Ryo burst out of the park his eyes widened in shock at the sight of Cyberdramon, his partner and friend, wildly attacking anything that moved. The Digimon had gone insane and was tearing down every part of the city he could reach and if he couldn't reach it, he would simply blow it up with his Desolation Claw attack.

Feeling his heart hammering in his chest Ryo stepped forward and took out his dark blue D-Ark.

"Cyberdramon!" He yelled. The Digimon turned to its master and snarled furiously.

"Cyberdramon! Stop this at once!" Ryo called angrily. Cyberdramon simply roared and turned away from Ryo, tearing his claws through the side of a building that was ready to collapse. Ryo sighed sadly and shook his head.

"Fine," he muttered, pressing down the little button on the side of his D-Ark. A long, blue whip of pure light dropped out of his D-Ark and he flung it forward, catching Cyberdramon around the wrist like he had done so long ago in the Digital World. He pulled it back sharply, pulling Cyberdramon's arm with it. The Ultimate roared angrily and turned its head to see who was stopping it.

"Stop it, Cyberdramon! You're going to hurt someone!" Ryo snapped, although he could clearly see that Cyberdramon had done more than just hurt people. Many people were lying in bloody masses in the streets and Ryo knew they were dead. The thought made him sick to his stomach but he held himself firm.

"I must destroy the enemy!" Cyberdramon growled.

"What enemy? There are no enemies here!" Cyberdramon laughed maniacally and wrenched his arm free of the whip that had been restraining him.

"Everything is the enemy!" Cyberdramon turned and leapt into the air, aiming his hands down and firing his Desolation Claw at a group of buildings, obliterating them instantly.

"Cyberdramon, no!" Ryo cried desperately. Ryo ran forward and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a very familiar head of red hair leaning over a lifeless body. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of Rika leaning desperately over Jeri's body, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to wake the long dead girl.

"Please, Jeri! Wake up! We can't stay here!" Rika cried urgently.

"Desolation Claw!" Ryo looked up, away from Rika, to see Cyberdramon's attack hit the building Rika was kneeling beside. A large chunk of the wall broke free and fell to the ground, straight for Rika.

"Oh, God, no! Rika! Move!" Ryo called as he ran to her. She looked up at him with red, tearful eyes and when she saw him waving his arms frantically for her to move she looked up and her eyes widened before she screamed. Her scream was cut off abruptly as the wall fell down on her, silencing her forever.

"No!" Ryo cried, dropping to his knees in front off the large pile of ruble, underneath which lay Rika, her body shattered and unmoving. Tears ran freely down his cheeks as Ryo knelt there, listening to Cyberdramon's continued destruction, unable to do anything to stop him. He had failed. He failed his partner. He had failed his friends. He had failed her. And now, because he wasn't strong enough, she was dead.

Rika was dead…

He dropped his head and let out a long, heart wrenching cry, his voice carrying far into the cold night.

_Ryo… _

Looking up, Ryo felt every inch of his being burning with untold sorrow and rage. With a furious cry he rammed his fists into the rubble and started throwing it aside. He wouldn't let her body lie there to be ruined!

_Ryo…wake up…_

He tore at the gravel, his hands bleeding and his skin broke. He wouldn't desert her!

_Ryo…wake up…it's me, Jeri._

No! Jeri was dead! He'd seen it with his own eyes!

_Ryo, you have to wake up! Whatever you're seeing! It isn't real!_

How could it not be real? He had seen it! He could see Rika's bloody hand, having finally moved enough rubble to reveal her. Or at least…what was left of her.

_It's a dream, Ryo! Snap out of it!_

A…dream? It wasn't real? Ryo reached out and his fingers touched the ice cold skin of Rika's hand. It felt so real…was it possible he was dreaming? There was a loud crash behind him and when he looked back he saw Cyberdramon tearing down another building, throwing whole chunks of wall at screaming people. But Cyberdramon wouldn't do that... He was violent sure, but he never attacked anything that wouldn't put up a fight...

_Ryo, please wake up…Rika needs you!_

Rika…she needed him. But where was she? He tried desperately to clear his mind, which seemed suddenly very clouded. And then he remembered. The forest, the fog…everything. Rika was alive!

"Wake up!" Ryo's eyes snapped open and he looked up to see a very relieved Jeri leaning over him.

"It's about time!" She said, smiling at him happily. He sat up and Jeri moved back a little to give him room.

"What happened," he asked, rubbing his head and getting to his feet. Jeri stood too and shook her head.

"I'm not sure. Something about this forest…The fog put us all to sleep…its making us…"

"Live out our worst nightmares," Ryo finished. He shivered when he remembered what he had been made to see. He looked around and spotted Cyberdramon gently, or at least gentling for him, shaking Henry by the shoulder until the boy woke up.

"Where's Rika?" He asked, looking back at Jeri. Her face fell and she looked over to where Renamon and Rika where still lying, fast asleep and unmoving.

"We can't get either of them to wake up…" She said sadly. Ryo walked over and knelt down beside Rika. He reached out to touch her frigid skin. It made him shudder to feel how cold she was.

_Just like in the dream_… He thought. He turned to look at Renamon. Jeri had rushed off to wake Suzy and he was alone in the middle of the clearing with Rika and Renamon. A sudden movement to his left made him turn to see Renamon shivering and twitching. Gulping back the lump that had formed in his throat at the coldness of Rika's skin, Ryo moved away from her and towards Renamon. He reached out and tentatively touched her shoulder. But the instant his fingers came into contact with her fur he felt a wave of cold wash over him and his vision went black. The other tamers were all to busy trying to wake those few that were still living in Nightmare World so no one noticed as Ryo collapsed in between Rika and Renamon and re-entered the deep sleep.

But this time he was going to live someone else's nightmare…Renamon's.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Renamon wanted to die. She wanted to kill herself and die. She had nothing to live for after all. She had done the unthinkable… she had failed her partner… she had failed Rika… She stared sadly at the spot that Rika had stood on not moments before. The images of what had happened mere minutes ago were replaying in her minds eye, over and over again.

Rika had stood there, D-Arc in her hand as she, Renamon, fought IceDevimon. She had been unable to digivolve and thus was fighting IceDevimon in her rookie form, sorely outmatched and losing badly. Hurt, weak and slow, she had failed to see the attack IceDevimon had launched at Rika. It had frozen her solid and her data had shattered instantly. Horrified at the sudden death of her tamer, Renamon had done nothing to stop IceDevimon as he flew away, laughing evilly at having accomplished his goal.

Renamon wanted to die…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ryo opened his eyes to find himself on DigiPhirma. He knew better than to believe he was on the real DigiPhirma; he would not be fooled by the same trick twice. He figured he had been thrown into Renamon's nightmare when he had touched her. How he didn't know, but it had happened anyway. He looked around and sure enough he spotted Renamon standing a little way away from him. She was completely still except for her tail and ears blowing slightly in the wind. He walked a little closer and was shocked to see tears running down her furry cheeks.

"Renamon…?" He stepped closer and when she didn't reply he walked right up to her, stopping in front of her. "Renamon, what happened?" She looked up at him and the sorrow in her eyes was enough to make him want to leave this place and never come back. But he knew that if he didn't help her realize that what ever had happened wasn't real then neither of them would ever leave this nightmare.

"Ryo…?" Her voice was tentative and confused, as if she thought he might not be real. "She's gone…I failed…" Ryo gulped back the lump in his throat, knowing immediately who she was talking about and remembering his own vision of Rika's death.

"She's not gone, Renamon. I thought so too, but none of this is real." Renamon shook her head and looked away from him, her eyes fixing on the spot where she had seen Rika disappear.

"I saw her, Ryo…her data broke. I couldn't stop him and now she's dead…" The tears streaming from her eyes grew steadily into quiet sobs and Ryo stood there and watched her cry in utter shock. He had never thought Renamon as the type to cry over anything.

_She loves Rika more than I thought…_Ryo thought sadly. _They all love us far more than we ever realized_.

"Renamon…you have to snap out of it…Rika is alive. I saw her die too, but in my dream she died in the real world. This isn't real…" He said as gently as he could. She looked back to him and there seemed to be some small hope in her eyes.

"She's…alive?" Ryo nodded and Renamon looked around her again, as if confused.

"But I saw her die…right there." She pointed to the spot she had witnessed Rika's death and a shiver ran through her as the images played before her eyes again.

"It wasn't real. She's alive, but she needs your help. She's dreaming too and we need your help to wake her." Renamon looked down at him and Ryo smiled when he saw realization dawn on her face.

"The forest, we were in a forest… Rika's alive!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ryo sat up just as Renamon awoke beside him. She darted to her feet and looked down at Rika. She looked back at Ryo and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Ryo." He simply nodded and turned to see the others coming over.

"How did you wake her up?" Jeri asked.

"You okay?" Henry added, looking at the two if them concernedly.

"Yeah, we're fine," Ryo said. "And to answer you, Jeri, I got into her dream." The Tamers all stared at him in confusion and he shrugged.

"I dunno, I just touched her and the next thing I new I was in her dream. It worked when I touched Renamon's fur so I guess it'll work with Rika too."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Takato asked, stepping up to Rika. He knelt down and touched his finger to her arm and shut his eyes. There was a moment of silence before Kazu crossed his arms curiously.

"Nothings happening," he said.

Way to point out the obvious, Dufus," Alice snapped. Ryo looked to Renamon and she frowned.

"Perhaps Ryo was able to join my dream because my design was based on a Kitsune and part of that means I can connect my mind to others," she said. The Tamers looked at her in confusion and Henry frowned.

"But wait a minute…I thought you said you weren't psychic and that Rika was making the connection. Vahimermon even said she had a little psychic power." The Tamers gave a general murmur of ascent and looked back at Renamon.

"That," she said simply, "is only half true. According to research some of the workers in Hypnos have been doing, all humans have latent psychic abilities; you just don't know how to use them. My connection with Rika comes with the design of my Data. Rika did a little research through Hypnos' database and spoke to Janyu about his designs. It was not uncommon for the Monster Makers to use mythology in their design." The Tamers, some of which were looking on with eyes glazed with boredom (three guesses who and the first two don't count), seemed to understand so she continued. "I think that if I tried to connect to Rika and some of you at the same time we might be able to join her in her dream."

"Some?" Ai piped up suddenly. Renamon looked down at the little girl and nodded.

"I will not e able to connect to all of you. At most, three humans and their partners," she replied, already knowing who those humans would be.

"Well, shall we?" Ryo said, stepping forward with Cyberdramon behind him.

"Right behind you," Henry replied, Terriermon on his shoulder.

"Alright," Takato said, Guilmon at his side. "We're ready."

Renamon nodded at them, sat crossed legged on the forest floor beside Rika and reached out to them with her mind, already connected to her partner. They were silent for a moment before all seven of them collapsed and were thrown back into a world of dreams.

But this was no ordinary dream. This dream was dangerous and one false step could mean never escaping.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hi, well that's it for now  I'll try and get the rest out soon but I'm having difficulty with my writing… sorry it was so short… well, cheers for now.


	23. Mind over Matter

Hi, me again. Yay, I'm updating  It's a miracle!!! I've had a rather busy year as it's my first in University….OH GOD I'M OLD!!!!!! Oh well, moving on. The style of my writing might change a little so sorry about that.

Ok, enough chatting, on with the show!!

Oh, and sorry about the confusion in the previous chapter about the whole psychic link thing…this is what happens when you don't plan…he he…

By the way, I'm desperately looking for a beta (I need one kinda badly as I'm sure you all agree :-P) I figured if I have a beta I'll be more motivated to write so anyone up to it, please e-mail me!!! Thanks.

Chapter 23

Mind over Matter

When Renamon, the Tamers and their partners opened their eyes, they found themselves in what appeared to be Digi-Phirma. But this place looked different somehow, more…menacing. It was dark and a constant chill was being swept across the barren plains. Digimon data was floating about them and, despite the wind, it was utterly and completely quiet.

"Well," Takato said suddenly, his voice hushed. "I'm severely creeped out…" Though no one replied they all silently agreed. This place really was a nightmare.

A sudden explosion broke the silence and they all turned towards it. The light from it, oddly green, was only just fading and, as if by some silent agreement, they started moving toward it. They quickened their pace as another, slightly smaller explosion (blue this time) sent a silhouetted figure flying across their line of sight. The stopped at the edge of a ring of mountains that, in the real Digital World, did not exist. A bloody and battered Rika lay on the far end of the ring, completely motionless. There was no sign of what had caused the explosion.

Glancing once more amongst themselves, the Tamers and Digimon ran to her, skidding to a halt beside her limp form.

"Rika! Rika wake up," Ryo called, gently shaking her shoulder. She stirred but made no move to open her eyes.

"What the hell did this to her?" Takato asked, scanning the make shift arena for any signs of danger. There were none, but the maniacal look in Guilmon's eyes told him all too clearly they were far from being safe. Ryo, who was gently cradling Rika's near lifeless form in his lap, looked up as both Guilmon and Cyberdramon started snarling furiously and the fur on Renamon's entire body stood on end, her tail twitching oddly.

"There's something here, Takato," Guilmon growled.

"I'll say," Terriermon added. "Something huge…" The Tamers looked around nervously in search of what they could feel was watching them. There was a flash of movement to the left and they all spun toward it, but whatever it was, was long gone. Another flash of movement behind them and they were spinning around again; again finding nothing.

"Ok, as if this place wasn't creepy enough…" Henry muttered, his eyes darting all around him while Ryo was trying unsuccessfully to wake Rika. The wind suddenly changed direction, putting Renamon downwind from Rika and Ryo.

"Wait a minute…" She turned toward them and sniffed the air suspiciously. Her eyes widened and she snarled, knocking Ryo aside and grabbing Rika's limp form by the neck, lifting her bodily off the ground. The Tamers and Digimon gasped in shock and Ryo leapt to his feet.

"Renamon, what the hell are you doing?!" Ryo snapped. Renamon growled and tightened her grip on Rika's neck.

"This isn't Rika…" At this, Rika's eyes snapped open and she chuckled evilly, making the Tamers gasp in surprise. Her voice was cold and sent chills down their spines. Renamon's only reaction was to tighten her grip.

"You pathetic little pets don't stand a chance. You should have left her to die. But now," she reached up and wrenched Renamon's paw off her neck and flipped her judo style over shoulder. "You will all die." Renamon landed gracefully on her feet and spun in time to see Rika's body enveloped in black flames.

"Where is Rika?!" Takato yelled. The fake Rika chuckled again in that terrible, cold voice and shook her head.

"She is right there." She lifted her hand and pointed back behind them. Takato, Ryo and Henry turned to look while the Digimon kept a close eye on the fake, who was grinning maliciously.

"Oh my God…" Ryo whispered, his throat tightening. Rika was chained to the high stone wall, hanging by her arms. She appeared unharmed but there was a horror in her eyes that went beyond physical pain. Her eyes were cold and lifeless and she seemed unable to see them, despite the fact that she was looking directly at them.

"What have you done to her?!" Renamon roared furiously, launching herself at the fake. "Fox Flash Attack!" She started striking and clawing at the fake with a speed that was impossible to follow. But the fake dodged and blocked the blows as if they were nothing but an irritation.

"Let her go!" At Ryo's cry Cyberdramon rushed the fake as well, followed closely by a furious Guilmon and Terriermon.

"Fools," the fake said calmly, throwing her hand out in a vicious movement, tossing the Digimon aside like dolls. "If you want her so badly, go get her." She waved her hand and the chains disappeared, letting Rika fall to the ground. She landed with a loud thud while the Tamers and Digimon ran to her, Renamon in the lead. Takato halted as that same flash of movement passed them towards the fake. He glared at her but she just looked bored, the black flames licking her body like a strange shadow.

This was all so wrong…

When the Tamers reached the real Rika, it was to find her lying on the ground, shivering madly. She pushed herself up onto all fours with a great effort and then fell back into a sitting position. She looked up at them and her haunted eyes widened in shock.

"H…how? You were all dead…" Her quivering voice was close to breaking and Ryo reached out to her, pulling her close. Her icy skin sent shivers down his spine and he was forcibly reminded of his own dream.

"No, Pumpkin, we're alive. You have to snap out it. This isn't real." The Fake laughed at this and they all turned to look at her. The black flames had grown and the flash of movement darted past her.

"Not real? You fools don't seem to realise what is going on. Your dreams may have been fake, but I assure you…" The flash suddenly darted at her again and thus time it started spinning around her. She chuckled and opened her arms wide, as if welcoming it. The flames intensified and she was suddenly and completely engulfed by them. She started growing and morphing, her body becoming bulky. She sprouted several more legs and short course hair sprouted out of her skin. The fake Rika vanished and in her place stood a giant spider Digimon. His eight, long, spiny legs jutted out at odd angles and his clawed feet sunk into the dirt under his massive weight. His entire body was black and covered in the short, spiny hair they had seen during his transformation. A long row of short, white horns lined his sides and his under side seemed to be armour plated. The vicious looking pincers on his black head were gnashing at them, dripping with saliva. His entire head was taken up with hundreds of tiny red eyes and the red markings down his back ended at the deadly spine on his backside. He gave a deep booming chuckle and took a single step towards them, his step rattling the earth.

"…this is _very_ real."

Henry held out his D-Arc and the Deva's image appeared on the holographic screen.

"Ebridomon, Arachnid Digimon. He's an Ultimate virus type… His attacks are Spider's Thread, Poison Spire and Spider Quake."

"Oh man…I _hate_ spiders," Takato muttered awkwardly, taking a step back when Ebridomon laughed again.

"Now, foolish human scum, it is time for you to die!" Ebridomon roared and darted towards them.

"Ryo, watch Rika! We'll handle him," Henry said as he, Takato, their partners and Cyberdramon ran to intercept the Deva. There was a loud crash as Digimon met and the rookies were thrown aside while Cyberdramon flew passed, clawing Ebridomon's side. Takato and Henry glanced at each other and, nodding to each other, held out their D-Arks.

"Bio-merge activate!" They called together.

Nothing.

"What's going on?" Takato yelped, diving aside to escape being crushed by Ebridomon's huge feet.

"I dunno," Henry replied. The Deva laughed and shook his ugly head.

"So long as she is trapped in her dream you can do nothing. You are trapped with her. And you will all die! Spider's Thread!" Takato dove aside again, dodging the attack by inches and rolled to his feet.

"Thank God for Piximon's training," he muttered, before turning to where Ryo and Renamon were protecting Rika. "Ryo! You guys have to get her to snap out of it or we're all done for!" Ryo nodded and looked back down at the girl he had come to love. She looked lost and confused.

_Come on, Rika_, he thought desperately._ Snap out of it_.

Rika, who was still leaning against Ryo, was staring at him apprehensively, trying to desperately to sort out her thoughts. Ebridomon had killed them…she had seen him do it. So how could they be here? Ryo felt so real…was it true? Had it been a dream? Or was this a trick? She shook her head desperately and buried her face in her hands, tears in her eyes. But then, an oh-so-familiar voice in her mind made her look up to see Ryo gazing down at her.

_Rika, we are real. You have to wake up or we will all die_. She turned her head to look at Renamon and her eyes widened a little. That couldn't have been fake…could it?

_Do you see now? _Renamon's voice whispered. Then she heard another voice, one that she had only been hearing recently in her mind.

_Come on, Pumpkin, it's ok. We're not dead. It was a trick._

This was all so confusing…she wanted to believe, but what if this was just another of Ebridomon's cruel jokes? But Renamon's voice in her head…he couldn't know about that could he? He couldn't fake that…

Rika looked up at the battle and frowned. Her friends hadn't been able to fight last time…they had just been wiped out without any resistance… She looked back at Renamon, a light reaching her eyes when Renamon smiled at her warmly.

"Do you see now?" She asked and Rika knew. She knew that it had been a trick.

They were alive.

"There's no way we can fight him without bio-merging." Takato and the others had run over, all looking exhausted. They looked over at Rika and Ryo and she smiled up at them.

"God you guys have no idea how good it is to see you having your butts kicked." Takato and Henry both gave her a 'gee thanks' sort of smile, happy to see she was ok.

"C'mon pumpkin, let's get out of here," Ryo said, helping her to her feet. She smiled and nodded, a joy and relief coursing through her such as she had never felt before.

"Uh…you know this is touching and all but…how the heck are we supposed to get out of here?" Terriermon asked. A booming laugh made them all turn to look at Ebridomon who was approaching them menacingly.

"You foolish little humans. Don't you realise that there is no escape from this world? Not without defeating me and you have no hope of that. Why don't you just accept your fate and die."

"Was that a serious question?" Terriermon asked and Henry rolled his eyes.

"Guys, let's try Bio-merging again. These Deva's may be strong but one Ultimate can't stand up to four Megas." They all nodded and held out their D-Arcs.

"Bio-merge acti…"

"Did you honestly think I would make it that easy? Poison Spire!" Ebridomon spun around and fired a volley of sickly green darts at the Tamers.

"Scatter!" Takato yelled and they all dove for cover. "Ok…that didn't work…"

"Now what…" Henry said desperately. "He's not gonna let us bio-merge unless we find a way to distract him…" And at that Ryo felt a light go on somewhere.

"That's it! We have to distract him. Rika, do you still have your alias card?" He asked and she nodded.

"Of course."

"If you combine it with the clone card we can make as many alias' as we want," Ryo said excitedly." Rika's eyes lit up and she grinned.

"Not bad, Ryo. It'll give us all a chance to Bio-merge and then we can get out of this nightmare." The two of them reached for their cards and, together they drew them through their D-arcs.

"Multiple alias activate!" With a flash Renamon and Cyberdramon started multiplying until there were at least twenty of each of them. The alias' all leapt at Ebridomon at once and he roared furiously, swiping his claws at them.

"You annoying little wretches! You will pay for this!"

"That's what you think," Takato snapped. They all held out their D-Arcs together, using his distraction to their advantage.

"Bio-merge activate!"

"No!" Ebridomon yelled as the Tamers all landed around him in Mega form.

"All right you, we've had enough of this place, it's time to put you to sleep for good!" Megagargomon yelled.

"Just because you managed to digivolve does not mean I will be defeated that easily. This is my world you pathetic abominations. I will not lose!" He raised himself up onto two legs and came crashing down, sending terrible shock waves through the earth. "Spider Quake!" The Megagargomon and Sakuyamon leapt into the sky to avoid the earthquake but Gallantmon and Justimon had no escape. The earth cracked and split around them, huge, rocky spires crashing up around them. They darted across the ground to avoid the spires, making their way closer to Ebridomon.

"Thunder Clap!" Justimon took a running leap into the air and raised his arm back before bringing it down with a mighty bang, sending a bolt of lightning across the ground toward the Deva. It connected with his leg and he roared in pain, stomping his feet around. This effectively halted the earthquake and the Megas all moved in to attack.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon's arm morphed into a jousting lance and started gathering energy at its tip. When he had collected all he could manage he threw his arm forward, shooting a massive lightning bolt at Ebridomon that connected with his head shortly after Sakuyamon's Amethyst wind hit his side. Ebridomon roared angrily and darted toward Gallantmon, his huge pincers open wide but Megagargomon flew right into him, knocking him clear across the arena. The joined each other in font of him and readied their most powerful attacks, each drawing in power. But Ebridomon didn't seem at all worried, in fact he was laughing at them.

"You pitiful little humans honestly think you can defeat me here? I told you, this is my world. In here, I am God!!" He stood and charged at them but when he came close enough to attack, they all fired their attacks at him at once and he was thrown back and sent flying into the rocky mountains. He hit them with an almighty crash and fell to the ground, rock and dust falling all around him. When the scene cleared he was struggling out of the debris and looked badly hurt. But he wasn't defeated yet.

"You little pests are beginning to get on my nerves!" He snarled. "Spider's Thread!" He spun on the spot and shot a thick, sticky cord out of his behind that connected with Justimon and sent him flying into Megagargomon. The two of them were knocked to the ground, completely wrapped in the sticky web and unable to move. Ebridomon laughed evilly as they struggled and fired another cord, this one hitting Sakuyamon, who was attempting to free her comrades. She too was sent flying and tumbled heavily to the ground, her body trapped in the webs. Gallantmon yelled furiously and darted towards Ebridomon. He leapt high into the air, flipped once and landed on the Deva's back, lance arm first. This effectively drove the lance deep into his back and Ebridomon roared in pain and tossed himself around to try and throw Gallantmon off. But Gallantmon stood firm and started gathering energy to the tip of his lance.

"This ends here! Lightning Joust!!" He pushed his lance further into Ebridomon's back and fired his attack. At such close range the attack was far more powerful and broke right through Ebridomon's body, pulsing into the ground below. Ebridomon cried out and his data shattered into the cold wind. The webs around Megagargomon, Justimon and Sakuyamon shattered too and they felt the world around them darkening.

They had won.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Vahimermon was meditating beneath the stone dais in the temples main chamber when the Tamers and their partners walked in. He stood and turned to them, smiling as they approached.

"I trust you all enjoyed your holiday and are ready to resume your training," he said with a bright smile. They all walked right past him, ignoring him completely and heading for their rooms. He stood their in shock for a moment and after a few seconds of silence he heard all of the doors being slammed shut and a collective groaning sigh as the all collapsed onto their beds.

"Well," he said, mildly surprised. "They must have really had fun…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Alright, so that's it for now  I'm gonna revise the previous chapters since I read through them and realised how terrible they are… But don't worry, I won't let it get in the way of the next chapters, which I will launch on a weekly basis now that I have more free time. I'll put them up every Friday so no more waiting  hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review cheerio!!


	24. The Man behind the Mirror

Hey there! I'm back with another instalment I am so gonna revise this story coz damn…it's really bad o0 absolutely no form or structure and the plot is so…flighty. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?! Oh well, I'll finish it anyway I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that this chapter is dedicated almost entirely to Ryuki fluff and I've worked out what will be happening from here on and I've estimated the story to be another ten (this one included) chapters long. We're almost there . Anywho, enough rambling. On with the show. P.S I'm seriously pissed off with coz it refused to let me load my chapters!!! Stupid internet…

Chapter 24

The Man behind the Mirror

Two weeks after the attack found the Tamers having resumed their training in the safety of the Temple. The dual digivolution training had been halted after a week's worth of absolutely no progress and they had started more advanced duelling instead. Rika found that, though Ryo was physically stronger than she was, she was far faster and more agile than he, which made them an even match in a fight. She had opted to train with twin broad swords that could connect into one blade while Ryo had chosen a silver heavy blade that looked far too large for him.

Today, however, they had taken a break from training and she and Ryo were under a weeping willow beside the river in the lush forest. It was quiet and peaceful and Rika felt more relaxed than she had since this entire ordeal had started. It felt strange to be lying there, her head in his lap while he quietly read a book he'd found in the Temple, when just two weeks ago they had all very nearly died. The book held a record of the Digital World's history but Rika wasn't really listening. The warmth of the day and the peace all around them was lulling her to sleep and listening to the sound of Ryo's soft voice was only fuelling her drowsiness. She let out a gentle sigh and let her eyes drift shut.

"Rika?"

"Hmm?" She shifted slightly and turned her head to look up at him through half-open eyes.

"You're not listening to a word of this are you?" He was smirking down at her and she smiled lightly, shaking her head no.

"Sorry," she muttered sleepily, not really sorry at all. She had been listening, just not to what he had been saying.

"You want me to stop?" He asked, reaching down to untie her hair before running his fingers through it. She shook her head no and he smiled.

"Alright." He opened the book again but simply stared at the pages for a moment. She knew he was thinking about something but didn't pry; he would tell her eventually. His fingers started in her hair again and she suppressed a small smile. She never would have pegged herself to be one to enjoy being…_petted_, but she had to admit that it was rather nice. Her eyes started drifting as she waited for Ryo to tell her what it was he was thinking about. She found herself studying the contours of his face, memorising every detail. Why had she never noticed the small scar along his jaw line? Or the single, dark freckle that was partially hidden in his right eyebrow? She watched his furrowed brows and the light wrinkling in his nose. She was used to this expression. He always looked that way when he was really concentrating. The link they shared was providing her with an under current of his emotions and she could tell that he wasn't at all upset or worried. On the contrary he seemed quite nervous. This confused her but she kept quiet, waiting for him to speak.

It was a comfortable silence and the day had been incredible comfortable and…nice. She found she very much enjoyed simply spending time with him. Being with Ryo was calming and comfortable and he made her feel safe in a way she had never felt before. It was strange and new to her but she knew she liked it.

Shifting slightly in his lap, Rika sighed and looked up at the forest canopy above them. Rays of light were breaking through the trees at odd places, catching the river's surface and lighting the area in dim, sparkling light.

This place, in Rika's opinion, had to be the closest thing anyone could possibly come to heaven.

Feeling Ryo shift beneath her, she looked back up at him to find his eyes already trained on her. He was studying her carefully and she smiled up at him lightly. Though neither of them had said as much, Rika knew that she loved Ryo beyond words and that he loved her just as much. What she felt for him ran far too deep to be anything other than love. She could feel the under current of his emotions and knew all too well he could feel hers. It had become some unspoken secret between them. When he returned her smile, his eyes softening, she knew he was ready to tell her what it was he'd bee thinking of.

"You're beautiful," he near whispered and her smile widened ever so slightly. She'd never admit it but she loved it when he said that.

"Rika, reading this book has made me think a lot about what we're trying to do." He paused here, thinking hard about how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I remember what Vahimermon told us about the four Digimon that tried the Dual Digivolution last time and about what happened to me and I…" He paused again, but Rika knew it was for a different reason this time. She sat up and turned to him, motioning for him to continue. He was nervous. Taking a deep breath, he sat up a little straighter and looked her right in the eye.

"Vahimermon told us that the last four Digimon that tried this died from the strain. This book doesn't quite agree but it _does_ say that they disappeared. When no one could find them it was assumed that they had died. And now, we're trying to do the same thing. We're trying to do the very thing that destroyed possibly the strongest Digimon in recorded history." She watched him closely, not really understanding what it was he was trying to say. Seeing this, Ryo shifted forward and grasped her hands in his, staring down at them as he ran his fingers over her palms. The contrast was strange. His hands were slightly roughened from his time in the Digital World while hers were impossibly soft. And yet they fit perfectly together.

When Rika squeezed his hands lightly to get his attention, he looked up at her and grinned sheepishly, realising he had been staring.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…I'm scared." Of all the things she had thought he might say this was the most unexpected. Ryo scared? But then, she realised she knew what he meant. She had thought of the very same thing but she hadn't let herself dwell on the possibilities. She was doing what she was doing in order to survive.

"Ryo, I know that doing this is a huge risk and that we could all die trying, but if we don't do this, we'll die anyway. There's no way we could ever fight the sovereign as we are now. They're just too strong." He sighed and shifted back toward the willow's trunk, pulling her to him. She turned in his arms so that she was lying against his chest and leaned her head back. Had anyone told her that she would be so affectionate with Ryo a few weeks ago, she would have laughed at them.

But fighting for your life changed a person.

"I know," he whispered. "But I only just got you and I don't want to ever lose you. If you died…" He swallowed hard here and took another deep breath. "I love you, Rika…" Even though she had known, even though she had felt it, hearing Ryo say that lit a fire of joy in Rika's chest that burnt white hot and threatened to explode within her. She turned her head towards him and her smile was radiant. He was gazing down at her, his eyes so full of emotion that it almost overwhelmed her. Never in her life had she felt such incredible joy. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, leaning even closer when she felt his arms tighten around her.

_I love you too_, she thought happily, knowing that he would hear her perfectly. She could feel him smiling against her mouth and it sent shivers up her spine. When at last they separated she had shifted right around so that they were pressed chest to chest and he had his hands knotted in her hair. Her own hands were locked around his neck and she used this pull herself closer to him, tucking her head securely under his chin. That bright fire in her chest was still raging and it was leaving her feeling incredibly…bubbly. She wanted to laugh and jump and shout to the world, but she would never do something so terribly air-headed. So she satisfied herself by breathing him in and knowing that, despite what might be yet to come, he was there with her now, and he loved her.

"Rika…" she lifted her head to look at him and cocked her head slightly to one side. He smiled at her, loving that adorable little motion of hers. Clearing his throat slightly he swallowed again and she knew there was more he wanted to tell her. "I know that we haven't been together all that long and that…we're really too young but…I just wanted to promise you something…" She felt her heart skip a beat and her breath caught. Was he about to say what she thought he was? Feeling her shock he smiled down at her.

_It's not what you think, Pumpkin…well not entirely anyway_. She nodded for him to continue, though she was still finding it hard to breathe.

"I just want you to know that I'll never leave you…no matter what might happen. You mean more to me than I could ever say and I never want to lose that." Even though it hadn't been a direct proposal, Rika knew all to well that it had been hidden in his words. He had just promised her they would one day, if she wanted to, get married. She felt her heart would burst with this new joy. She was terrified at the very idea of marriage and yet she felt that with Ryo, it wouldn't be so scary. She loved him and she knew that he would never intentionally hurt her. She could definitely see herself spending her life with him. But for now, his promise would suffice. Smiling up at him, she leaned into him again and this time their kiss was more gentle; more loving.

The sun suddenly set and they were enveloped in darkness. But the area was softly lit with what appeared to be some sort of faerie lights. Perhaps the digital version of fireflies? Whatever they were they cast a gentle glow on the river and the rippling reflection of the water made the entire area look almost unreal in its beauty. When they separated again, Rika looked up at him and his smile sent more shivers down her spine. She found herself lying on her back in the cool grass and as she gazed up at him, knew something truly amazing was about to happen. At that moment she felt she stood sorely corrected.

_This_ was the closest anyone could come to heaven.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So, you've found yourself a nice little boyfriend to play with." A dark figure sat, watching the pathetic little interaction between Rika and the pretty boy she had so _innocently_ fallen for, in a room crowded with computers.

"Pathetic." He turned off the monitor and wheeled his swivel chair to another screen. Row upon row of numbers, letters and strange symbols were streaming across the screen and he smirked evilly.

"Yes, it's working perfectly. Those useless little sovereign won't be breaking free of _this_ code anytime soon." He moved closer to this computer and his hands flew across the keyboard, checking for even the most miniscule mistake in his 'perfect code'. Finding none, he stood from his chair and moved away from the computers. The room, which otherwise would have been utterly dark, was lit by the screens of his man computers and electronic hook ups. Moving towards a small section of the room that was not fit to burst with computers, he stood in front of what appeared to be a small shrine.

A shrine to Rika Nonaka.

The area was lit by many little candles, revealing news paper clippings, photos, what appeared to be a hand made doll and a Digimon card deck identical to her own. In the very centre of this shrine stood a television set. Moving towards this the figure lifted a cassette to a small VCR placed on top of the television and slipped it in. The television flickered to life and a recording of a Digimon Battle Championships appeared on the screen. It appeared to be one from three years ago, when Rika had been fourteen and an Ice Queen. She was battling a young, brown haired boy that appeared to be perhaps a year or two older than her. He seemed utterly transfixed by her and wasn't paying any attention to the game. When it came to his turn and he continued to stare at her she would snap at him to play or pay attention and he would make a move just so that he could get back to watching her. The figure growled irritably and shook his head.

"That little vixen doesn't even know what she does to people. But it won't matter for long. I'm not going to let her keep doing it." He moved away from the shine, leaving the recording running. He moved towards the door to the room and when he reached it, turned back to look at the first computer. He glared at the sight or Rika and her _pretty boy_ going at it and snorted in disgust; soon.

Soon she wouldn't be able to defile her innocence and beauty like that. Soon, she would be preserved from all the sins of life. Soon, he would know that he had done his part to save her from herself and the evils of the world.

Soon.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Ryo woke it was morning and the sun had risen around them. His sleep addled mind tried hard to process why he was outside and why there seemed to be some sort of near weightless presence lying across his chest; but the answers were not forthcoming. Frowning, he blinked once, twice and then shook his head lightly. This movement, however, caused the soft weight lying on his chest to shift and let out a small, sleepy moan. Curious, he looked down and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Rika was lying snuggled up against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, half tucked under his chin. Her arm was lying across his chest and she was sleeping peacefully, a light smile playing at her lips. He could see light bite marks on her shoulders and neck and, now that he was more awake, he could feel the slight burning of his back where he knew she had scratched him.

He remembered all to well what had happened.

Flushing lightly at the memory but grinning like an idiot, he sighed contentedly and pulled her slightly closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Last night had been a _really_ long night…but _God_ had he enjoyed every second! His grin widening, Ryo rested his head against hers and relaxed, listening to the sound of the waking forest around them. It was still very early and he knew they were in no danger of being caught but the idea that they might made him feel a little too exposed. They hadn't intended to stay out all night so they had never brought anything to use as cover. This, of course, meant that they were lying under a tree, curled around each other with absolutely nothing hidden from any possible 'passers by'. If any of the Tamers _did_ decide to come find them, they would get quite the eye full. Smirking lightly at this Ryo lifted his head as much as he could a looked down at the Goddess beneath him. He could find no better word to describe her. To him she truly was a Goddess.

She shifted again and he lay back down. He could tell she was waking up and he was sorry she was. He could've lain their for ever with her sleeping peacefully at his side. But her eyes flickered lightly before opening and she stifled a yawn by biting her lip. Stretching lightly she sighed and curled deeper against him.

"Morning," she said thickly and it sent a shiver up his spine.

"Morning." She moved a little away from him so that she could look him in the eye and gave him a shy smile. Ryo _really_ liked that smile.

"How're you feeling?" He asked concernedly. He knew that he had hurt her and he was worried she might still be in pain.

"I'm alright." Her voice was husky from sleep (_and overuse_, he thought impishly) and he was finding it hard not to grab her all over again. He reached up and brushed his fingers through her hair, to calm himself just as much as to just touch her. He still found it hard to believe that they had done what they had. A shiver run through her body and he hugged her closer.

"Cold?" She nodded lightly.

"Yeah, a little." He grinned at this; she had good reason to be cold.

"Maybe we should get dressed…" She glanced up at him, a flush creeping across her cheeks and she smiled.

"Yeah, maybe." Neither of them moved. Rika yawned again, unable to stop herself this time and sighed as she shifted even closer to him. Things would be different between them now, but she didn't mind at all. She didn't regret what they had done for a second and she could feel that he didn't either.

_Well of course he wouldn't_, she thought wryly. _He's a guy_.

_Hey, I resent that comment_, Ryo said, smirking down at her. Rika chuckled and shook her head.

"Hey." She looked up at him and he smiled, leaning down to press a light kiss to her lips. "We really should get dressed."

_Spoil sport_, she thought with a mock pout. They moved apart and Rika flushed when she realised she didn't know where half her clothes were. Grinning lightly at this she glanced over to Ryo, who seemed to be searching for his boxers.

Oh yes, things would be _very_ different now.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Well, that's that  Hope you liked it. I'm happy with this chapter. It came out just as I intended. Hope you guys got my few innuendos… XP You finally got to take a look at the real antagonist and his motives. I hope the whole fic is making more sense now…doubt it though  Stay tuned for the next instalment.

Cheers, gotta study for a test sighs in defeat

Thanks for the reviews and thanks to Forlorn Melody for her ever helpful critique. Your awesome girl!!

Luv you all!!!

Bye!


	25. When Things go wrong

Hello again! Ok, got a few things to say so bare with me. I was rather amused when I got my reviews; to the point that I was laughing myself sick actually Someone actually begged me not to make Rika pregnant! LOL!! Gosh when I read that I nearly fell of my chair laughing. I mean come on, I know I lurvs me my drama and I've certainly put enough of it in already but honestly! I'm not that mean No, Rika will not get pregnant, though when I read that review I had half a mind to make her pregnant just to see your reactions, lol!! Another reviewer begged me not to make things awkward between them. This review was actually answered in the chapter itself. I wrote that morning after piece to show you that, though different, things won't be awkward between Rika and Ryo so you guys can relax, he he :) Well, that's pretty much it.

On with the chappie!!

Chapter 25

When things go Wrong

It had been several days since Rika and Ryo had taken their break by the river side and Takato was finding the significant change in their relationship rather hard to comprehend. They had seemed far closer after their 'date' and he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why. He knew that Jeri, Alice and Alex all knew (and even they only knew because they had cornered Rika and pumped her for answers) and it vexed him to no end that none of them would explain it to him. Looking across the room to where Jeri and Alice were giggling about something while Rika glared at them irritably, he wondered if they were talking about it at that very moment. What could she and Ryo possibly have done to become so close?

"Hey! Chumely, it's your move!" Startled out of his thoughts, Takato turned to Kazu, who was watching him impatiently.

"Come on, Dude, let's go!" He motioned towards the Digimon Card game between them and Takato grinned sheepishly.

"Er…Sorry Kazu. Got a little…um…distracted." He looked down at his hand and frowned. Not much there. Kazu was grinning at him mischievously and Takato looked up at him, reaching for a card as he did.

"Thinkin' about Jeri, huh?" Takato flushed and put the card down a little too quickly, knocking a few others astray.

"No…uh, actually I was…"

"Ah, that's okay, Takato. We all know you're crazy about the girl," he said matter-of-factly. Thinking it better not to answer Takato simply nodded, his hand searching the back of his head. As if she had heard her name being mentioned, Jeri suddenly appeared at the table they were sitting at and seated herself on the chair beside Takato's.

"So, who's winning?" She asked, looking curiously over the game. The rest of the Tamers in Takato and Henry's room walked over too as Jeri peered over Takato's shoulder to take a look at his hand.

"Me of course," Kazu said proudly. He turned a cheeky grin to Takato and laughed. "Takato's feeling a bit…_distracted_."

"He'd need to be if you're winning," Rika said with a smirk. She was leaning against the back of another chair, her arms folded atop the chair while she looked over the game too. Kazu huffed at this, his chest puffing out indignantly.

"Hey! I'm way better at this game than Takato! I…"

"Wouldn't stand a chance if he was thinking straight," Rika said, cutting him off completely. The Tamers laughed at this and Kazu glared at Rika irately while she simply laughed.

_Some things never change_, Takato thought happily, watching his friends bicker. Rika looked suddenly to the door and, curious, Takato turned too. He wasn't all that surprised to see Ryo walk in moments later. Rika had obviously sensed him coming.

Takato had noticed that he and Henry could communicate through thought ever since they had started training together and it made sense that Rika and Ryo could too. Maybe that was why they had gotten so close… Remembering the game, Takato turned back to his hand and groaned. He was losing…badly.

"This one." He looked back to see Rika standing behind him, pointing down at a card in his hand from over his shoulder. She gave him a small, encouraging smile and he looked back down at his cards. She had pointed out a defensive card that, in his opinion, had no worth what so ever but, trusting her judgement he placed it down amongst the others on the table.

"This one next," she said, pointing out to another useless card, this one a counter attack, while Kazu laughed triumphantly. Ryo was standing beside Rika now, watching her instruct Takato with an amused smile on his face. Takato shrugged and placed this card down too after drawing a card from his deck. Looking down at his new card he realised that he had drawn a speed boost and his eyes lit up. With a defensive increase his Digimon could take Kazu's attacks with little damage but the counter card let him give back double the damage he received each turn. With a speed boost added to that he could deal triple damage to Kazu's Digimon each turn! He had just won the game. Kazu gave a startled cry and slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Awe man! That's not fair! Rika helped you!" Takato grinned widely and turned to a smirking Rika, who was giving Kazu a contemptuous look.

"Takato may be a brain-dead idiot at times," Rika laughed. "But he knows how to build a good deck. He didn't need my help to win." Kazu huffed while the other Tamers laughed merrily.

"I would've beaten him…" he said sulkily, his arms folded.

"Come on, Kazu. It's not that bad. You put up a good fight," Ryo chuckled, slipping his arm around Rika's waist when she moved closer to him. "And besides, you said yourself, Takato wasn't paying attention."

"What had you so out of it you couldn't concentrate on a dual, Takato?" Alice asked from Henry's bed. She was lying on her stomach, her feet in the air with a book in her hands. Takato flushed and grinned sheepishly.

"I – uh…was thinking about the…Devas?" He said, hoping they would believe his meagre lie.

"I've been thinking about them too," Henry said seriously from his spot beside Alice and Takato breathed a sigh of relief. "They haven't attacked us in quite a while. Don't you think it's a little strange?" Rika shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Strange or not I'm counting my blessings. Who cares why they're not attacking?" She said simply.

"What if they're up to something? They could be planning something big…" Jeri said nervously.

"Or maybe the Sovereign have called them off again," Alex added. As inviting an idea as that was the Tamers knew it was just wishful thinking.

"You know, I think we should send the kids home. This is getting out of hand and the last thing we need is for one of them to get hurt…" Ryo said, glancing over at Henry, who frowned at the thought of Suzi being harmed by the Devas. Ryo hoped he wasn't stirring old arguments, having remembered what had happened in Tornado valley.

"I doubt they'd be very happy with us if we tried but you're right. They shouldn't be here," Kazu said, packing his Digimon cards into his deck holder. "We could ask Yamaki to send an Arc down to get them… It'd be a shame to lose Impmon and Lopmon as fighters though."

"Yeah, it would be a loss but we need to think of the kid's safety. They're not really doing much to help and we can't be worrying about them while we're fighting," Henry said. "I'll contact Yamaki tonight and hopefully we'll have the kids out of here by tomorrow night." The Tamers were quiet for a moment before Takato sighed and stood.

"I don't like this all that much but I guess we have no choice. It's getting late. We should probably get some rest before we start training again tomorrow. The Tamers all agreed and left for their own rooms, calling goodnights as they went. This left Takato and Henry alone in the room.

"You know it's for the best, Takato." Henry was sitting on his bed, watching his friend seriously. Takato sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But I have a bad feeling about this…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Alright, Yamaki says the Arc is on its way." Takato turned to the Tamers as he put away the VDT. He glanced around at his friends and sighed when he was met with five pairs of glaring eyes. Suzi, Ai, Mako, Impmon and Lopmon were _not_ happy. "It'll be here in ten minutes.

"This isn't fair! I don't wanna go!" Suzi said angrily, her arms crossed defiantly.

"Yeah, how come we have to go and you guys get to stay?" Ai pouted, her little brother nodding his head vigorously beside her.

"We know you want to stay and help but it's too dangerous here and we can't risk you guys getting hurt," Henry said in what he hoped was a consoling voice. He shook his head and turned to look at Rika and Renamon, who were playing the scouts for the day, ensuring they weren't ambushed by the Devas. They didn't look at all concerned so he turned back to Takato who was checking his watch.

"We should get them ready…it'll be here soon," Takato said. Henry nodded and he ushered the children forward.

"Come on. They won't be able to send the Arc to this level. We'll have to go to DigiPhirma." Rika and Renamon joined them again and she reached into her pocket, pulling out the amulet. When the portal out of the Temple area appeared the Tamers made their way to DigiPhirma with the grumbling children in tow. Once they were out of the area and standing on the frigid plains of DigiPhirma they formed a tight circle around the children, watching cautiously for any signs of trouble.

Five minutes passed and all was silent but for the howling wind.

"It seems too easy…" Jeri said timidly.

"Yeah," Kenta agreed. "You'd think that the Devas would use this to their advantage…" But no sooner had he spoken when the earth shook under their feet with a muffled booming step.

Something was coming…something big.

"You just had to open your big mouth," Rika said irritably as more booming steps rumbled across the ground, coming closer with each passing second. A loud, piercing roar echoed across the field and the Tamers turned sharply toward the sound. It had come from a range of small cliffs behind them and they watched in silence as what appeared to be a huge, black dragon forced his way through the cliffs towards them. He pushed passed the rock, crumbling it as if it were made of flour and stopped with an almighty crashing step before them.

"Oh no…" Alex whispered, her eyes wide as she took a fearful step back. The Tamers turned to her and she shook her head.

"Alex…what it is?" Takato asked nervously. He didn't like the horrified look on her face one bit.

"That's no Deva…That's…That's Zihuralamon!" The Tamers gasped and turned to the Deva Commander, who gave a booming laugh. Takato held out his D-Arc and the screen appeared. It showed a powerful, muscular looking black dragon standing on two legs with a long, slender neck. His two wings were spread wide and his clubbed tail raised. His chest, under belly, tail club and inner wings were a dark purple and his long claws shone a silvery gunmetal colour. Vibrantly green eyes were lined with razor sharp horns and two long horns stretched far out of the back of his head. In his hand he held a long, glowing purple whip, which wrapped around his arm and fell in a tumbling pool to the floor. Finally, his elbows and ankles extended into razor edged blades and the first claws on both his feet were far larger than the others, lifted of the ground like a Raptors.

"Zihuralamon," Takato read nervously. "A Viral Dragon Digimon. Virus type. His attacks are…Viral Dragon Flame, Plasma Whip and Club Crusher." Zihuralamon ignored Takato's interruption and looked down at Alex.

"Well, I'm touched you remember me, Human. How are you feeling after the last time I ripped you near to shreds?" He gave Alex and evil grin and she shivered with pure rage.

"You won't do it again you over grown lizard! I'm not alone this time!" She snapped and he laughed again.

"You honestly think these pathetic little humans and their pets can defeat me? Ha! Your stupidity amuses me. You have only one chance of survival and that is to hand over the Digimon Murderer and leave this world forever."

"Over my dead body!" Ryo snapped and Zihuralamon snarled.

"That can be arranged!" He sneered. The Digimon were all snarling, growling and hissing at him and Renamon's fur was standing on end. Ryo frowned and turned to Rika who was staring up at Zihuralamon with such a menacing look it actually frightened him. Her shoulders were hunched and her hands balled into fists. Her entire body was quivering with barely suppressed rage and her jaws were tightly clenched.

"Rika…?" He said uneasily.

"You…" She hissed at Zihuralamon. "You killed my grandmother!" Turning his head towards her he laughed and folded his arms complacently.

"Yes, I did. And I enjoyed every last tortuous second of it," he snarled. Furious tears were running down her cheeks and Rika snatched her D-Arc from her belt.

"I'll kill you…" she hissed, her voice deadly calm. "I'll bloody kill you!" She and Renamon were suddenly glowing and her D-Arc suddenly let out a bright burst of light. It engulfed the entire area, forcing the Tamers to look away for fear of being blinded. Zihuralamon roared furiously and looked directly into the light to see a venomous looking Sakuyamon flying at him, her staff raised. But this was not simply Sakuyamon, this was Sakuyamon Kabuki Mode. The light that had had burst out of her D-Arc became a force field around her, propelling her forward even faster and when she collided with Zihuralamon he roared furiously, stumbling back from the force. Sakuyamon passed him, spun in mid-air and launched the most powerful Spirit Strike any of them had ever seen. It shot toward Zihuralamon at such a speed that only its shear, massive size let the Tamers follow it. Sakuyamon followed the attack to Zihuralamon and as it hit him she collided with him. But with a fierce roar Zihuralamon slashed his claws at her and she was thrown backward, crying out in pain. Hitting what was left of the cliff she fell to the ground far below and landed with a heavy crash.

"Rika!" Ryo growled furiously and raised his D-Arc. In seconds Justimon was darting towards Zihuralamon, but he wasn't alone. SacreAngewomon was already letting loose scores of arrows from her bow and Gallantmon was charging electricity to his lance. Anubismon was gliding alongside SacreAngewomon, firing his own attacks.

Only Megagargomon, didn't move, firing missiles from where he stood so that he might better protect the children. Laughing hysterically, Zihuralamon knocked Justimon aside, dodged the volley of arrows and grabbed Gallantmon's lance as he got closer, redirecting his attack toward Megagargomon's missiles, effectively destroying each one. Anubismon's attacks hit him in the shoulder but he didn't so much as flinch. The Megas stood there, staring at him in horror and he laughed again.

"Pathetic." With a bone jarring roar he lifted Gallantmon, spun him around twice and threw him into SacreAngewomon, knocking her out of the sky. Then he turned toward Justimon, who was helping an injured Sakuyamon to her feet, and charged. Seeing him coming, Sakuyamon threw Justimon off her and raced out to meet him.

"Rika! No!" The rest of the megas, having managed to get to their own feet, ran back to join the fray and when the six megas met the fight broke out into an all out war scene.

Knowing he was needed, Megagargomon turned to look down at Kazu and Kenta.

"Stay with the kids!" He said hurriedly and then he was off, firing missiles out of his finger tips as he flew.

"Oh man. This is bad…this is really bad…" Kazu whispered desperately. "I feel so useless…I can't even help them fight!"

"Maybe we can." He turned to look at Guardromon beside him and his partner gave him a significant look. Knowing all to well what he meant Kazu looked down at his own D-Arc and frowned seriously. What if he couldn't do it? He had never tried before and he wasn't even sure how you went about bio-merging… All he knew was that you shouted 'bio-merge activate' and it happened. But what if it didn't work?

A pained cry caught his attention and his eyes widened when he looked up to see Zihuralamon smash Gallantmon and Anubismon into each other. He saw too, how Whentumon, having digivolved earlier to help, was thrown into Megagargomon with a pained howl. Growling furiously he gripped his D-Arc tightly and shut his eyes.

"Stay with the Kids, Kenta," he said quietly, his eyes still shut tightly. "I'm going in."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sakuyamon was fighting blindly. Her pure rage was making her reckless and wild and she was attacking Zihuralamon without thinking. Justimon was trying desperately to calm her down, make her think, while keeping both himself and her alive in the process. Megagargomon had run out of ammo and was fighting at close range, meaning he was taking more damage than the others. Anubismon was down and SacreAngewomon would be joining him soon by the looks of things. In an act of desperation Gallantmon had Digivolved to Crimson mode but it had done little to even the odds.

They were loosing…badly.

"We need to regroup and come at him together!" Takato called. Justimon turned to look at him and nodded, having finally restrained Sakuyamon by holding her down.

"Let me go!" She snarled furiously but he was unrelenting.

"Not until you calm down!" The two of them struggled on the floor as the battle raged on around them. SacreAngewomon fired her "Heaven's Cloud of Judgement" attack and it distracted Zihuralamon, who had been advancing on them, long enough for Justimon to shove Sakuyamon away from the battle. But the move proved useless as Zihuralamon simply lifted off the ground with two mighty flaps of his wings and then he was speeding at them and, by extension, the children. The Megas all gasped in horror and dove in front of him as one, forming a veritable shield of power. The Deva commander collided heavily with them and the battle broke out once more. Sakuyamon, having realised she was putting herself and the others in danger, was doing her best to restrain herself from being rash but she was finding it difficult to think in the midst of her blinding rage. Ryo was at her side, battling with everything he had. She leapt forward and drew a hexagon in the sky.

"Dragon Helix!" She shouted and Ryo instantly moved forward to shoot his own Justice Burst down the tunnel. Their fiery dragon circled Zihuralamon and he snarled angrily as it effectively cut him off. They had trapped him, but for how long they couldn't say. They weren't going to wait to find out.

"Shield of the Just!"

"Heaven's Cloud of Judgement!"

"Spirit Crusher!"

"Thunder Clap!"

"FrozenThe four attacks combined into one incredible force and, just as it reached Zihualamon, the firey dragon rose up and joined it, making it that much more powerful. The explosion that followed was deafening. When it stopped Takato's ears were ringing and his head heart. Looking up from where he was standing he waited with baited breath.

"No…" Takato wasn't quite sure but it might have been Henry that had spoken; his ears were still ringing. But he hadn't needed to hear him, he could see Zihuralamon standing amongst the clearing smoke with barely a scratch on him. He laughed lowly and evilly.

"Is that really the best you can come up with? How very pathetic." The Megas balked when he reared his neck and opened his mouth wide. He was preparing to attack.

"Oh God…we're losing and he hasn't even used a single attack!" Rika said desperately.

"We have to…scatter!" The Megas dove apart but not quickly enough.

"Viral Dragon Flame!" The attack burst out of him so quickly it seemed impossible. They cried out in pain as the force of the attack blew then apart but Zihuralamon was far from finished. He drew his purple whip and cracked it in the air, wrapping it around Gallantmon and pulling him back towards himself. When he was close enough Zihuralamon spun and slammed his clubbed tail into Gallantmon, sending him reeling through the air.

"Club Crusher!" He roared upon impact. Not even sparing Gallantmon another glance he rounded on the other Megas, all of whom were staring at him in horror. He laughed again and opened his mouth to use another flame attack.

"Atomic Ray!" A huge beam of yellow energy hit Zihuralamon right in the mouth, sending him careening backwards with a furious roar, crashing into the cliff and falling to the floor as rocks and snow rained down on top of him.

"What the…?" The Megas all turned to see a tall, black robot lowering his arms, his hands still smoking from the attack. The top half of his head was covered in a visor like mask and there appeared to be some kind of jet booster on his back. His shoulders were covered in spiked shoulder pads, red on the left and blue on the right. His black body was highlighted with red and silver and as he stood there, looking fierce and powerful, he lifted his hand…and pulled a thumbs-up at the Megas.

"Kazu?" Rika asked in disbelief.

"In the flesh!" He said with a huge grin. "But the name's HiAndromon now."

"It's about time!" Takato laughed, relief coursing through him. Maybe now they would stand a chance…

A rumbling behind them and they turned to see Zihuralamon burst furiously out if the rubble of the cliffs.

"You little pests are getting on my nerves…" he hissed, shaking the snow off him and standing tall. He took a step towards them but paused when a beam of light rushed down between him and the Megas.

"What is this trickery?" He roared angrily, shielding his eyes from the light.

"The Arc!" Henry called, pointing up at a dark spot in the beam that was growing larger at it came nearer.

"Oh thank God…" Ryo said desperately. "Hurry, let's get the kids out of here!" While Zihuralamon was trying to see beyond the light the Megas rushed back to the children and scooped them up, carrying them towards the Arc.

"Kazu! Distract Zihuralamon!" Takato called and HiAndromon who nodded and darted forward, pulling back his arm, a large ball of purple energy growing in his palm.

"Death Boom!" He yelled, throwing it at Zihuralamon, who, blinded by the light, was unable to dodge it. The attack hit and exploded and HiAndromon dove into the explosion.

The Megas herded the children onto the arc and Gallantmon knelt down beside the entrance.

"Guys, listen to me. We need you to tell Yamaki that we need his help…anything he can do, anything, to slow this guy down. We can't beat him alone! Do understand?" They all nodded and when Gallantmon stood again the Arc closed and started back to the real world, guided by the rope like beams attaching it to the computers in Hypnos. Just as it lifted off the ground HiAndromon flew past them, landing with a heavy cash in the snow.

"Enough! I am through playing with you abominations! This ends now! Viral Dragon Flame!" The fiery blast tore through the Megas and they cried out in pain as they were thrown apart.

"You could have lived before but now I am going to destroy you all right down to your very last data particle!" He took off at a run towards them, his pounding footsteps shaking the earth beneath him.

"We need to keep him away from the Arc!" Takato called desperately and, nodding, the Megas all dashed forward.

"Twin Blades if Beauty!" Sakuyamon swiped her staff through the air and the revolving shield formed around Zihuralamon. He roared angrily and swiped his claws at the pink rings, struggling against their hold. Sakuyamon grit her teeth, holding on for dear life.

"H-hurry!" She cried desperately and the other Tamers leapt into action.

"Thunder Clap!" Justimon yelled, slamming his hand into the ground and sending his powerful shockwave towards Zihuralamon.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon through his lance forward and an arrow shaped beam of lightning burst from the tip.

"Amemit!" Anubismon, who had struggles to his feet, was firing waves of energy from his hands.

"Death Boom!" HiAndromon threw a volley of rapid fire energy balls at Zihuralamon and the Dragon Digimon roared furiously as the attacks hit him, exploding on contact. When the smoke cleared he growled and swung his tail, breaking through Sakuyamon's Twin Blade barrier with his own Club Crusher attack.

"This is bad…" Henry said anxiously.

"We may be hurting him but no where near as much as he's hurting us," Takato added.

"We have to hold out…Yamaki will come through…" Ryo said determinately. Zihuralamon was growling furiously at them, flicking his whip and swinging his tail.

"I grow tired of these games. You will pay for this with your lives! Plasma Whip!" He cracked the whip at them, the fierce purple light racing towards Sakuyamon. It tore across her chest and she cried out as she was thrown backwards, crashing hard into the Arc. It rumbled and halted, the children inside crying out in fear as it rocked in the air.

"No! They need to get away!" Megagargomon flew up and started pushing the Arc up towards the Real world, trying to kick-start it like one would a car.

"They will die along with the rest of you," Zihuralamon sneered and flew up to meet Megagargomon, powering his Viral Dragon Flame attack.

"Not of we can help it!" Gallantmon yelled and flew up too. "Crimson Light!" He threw his blade and it became a beam of red light that struck Zihuralamon in the back, shredding his left wing. He gave an unearthly scream of pain and fell out of the sky, his wing rendered useless. Putting on an extra burst of speed Megagargomon fired forced all of his strength into his jets and the flames grew bigger and hotter, propelling him and the Arc faster. With one last gigantic shove he sent it back towards the real world and out of harms way before he fell back to Digi-Phirma, exhausted.

"You vile little beasts! You will live to regret that…but not for long!" Running up to Gallantmon, Zihuralamon gripped him by the wings and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. Then he slammed his giant foot down onto Gallantmon's back and started pulling at his wings, ripping out the pristine feathers in his attempt to tear the wings clean off of him. Gallantmon cried out in pain, struggling under Zihuralamon's foot.

"Gallantmon!" Justimon, Sakuyamon and Whentumon dove at him and tackled him to the ground but he simply threw them off. But this small distraction gave Gallantmon time to escape and he stood near Megagargomon, his wings hanging limply. He was breathing heavily and his body was shaking weakly.

"We need a plan. Just attacking him at random isn't going to work…" Henry said even as he leapt back into the fight and Gallantmon nodded.

"Yeah…but what can we possible do? We're losing…badly." And then it hit him. He stood there, watching as the other Tamers fought and it all seemed to slow down. He watched as Sakuyamon moved around at incredible speed, her flight granting her increased agility. He saw Megagargomon take hit after hit, his bulky, armour clad body strong and solid. He watched as Justimon hit with powerful blows and saw HiAndromon sending back Zihuralamon's attacks with his Copy Paste attack.

"That's it…" he said, his eyes widening. Knowing what they had to do, Gallantmon ran forward.

"Rika!" He called and when she looked at him he continued. "The Card Game! It's how we can beat him!" Rika looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her. Her face brightened and she almost laughed.

"Takato, you're a bloody genius!" Ryo laughed.

"Just tell us what to do, Boss," Rika added as she dodged an attack. Gallantmon nodded and sent a Spiral Saver attack at Zihuralamon to distract him.

"Right, Megagargomon, you're the Defense Upgrade! Sakuyamon, you and Justimon are speed and power. HiAndromon, keep using Copy Paste!" The Megas all nodded and when Zihuralamon attacked again they were ready.

Sakuyamon and Justimon darted forward, landing powerful attacks to his head and torso and when Zihuralamon tried to attack them they leapt out of the way. Megagargomon took the hits with his armoured hide and landed another attack. The three of them kept up their pattern and when Zihuralamon became irritated he fired an attack.

"Viral Dragon Flame!" He roared, but HiAndromon leapt in front of the attack and held out his hands.

"Copy Paste!" The Viral, purple flames formed in his palms and he sent the attack back to Zihuralamon. Then, having knocked him to the ground, the rest of the Megas attacked too.

"Shaman Crossbow!"

"Icicle Blades!"

"Pyramid Power!"

"Crimson Light!"

"Rice Cord!"

"Justice Burst!" The explosion sent Zihuralamon flying and her skidded to a halt in the ground. Using the spare moments Kenta and MarineAngemon rushed over, the tine Mega healing the others with His Kahuna Waves as best he could. But he wasn't given long because seconds after he had landed, Zihuralamon moved to his feet and growled. There were scratches on his arms and legs but other than that he seemed uninjured.

"You are testing my patience," he hissed angrily.

"Oh _man_…won't this guy ever quit?" Takato groaned.

"Takatomon! Look!" The Megas all looked up and, to their astonishment, saw what appeared to be a vibrantly green Data Stream soaring down at them from the real world. A beeping sound caught their attention and they looked down to see Kenta open the VDT.

"It's Yamaki!" He cried out happily. Yamaki didn't bother to greet them.

"Everyone, get away from the Data Stream. I'm going to use it to send Zihuralamon back to the Sovereign's Level. Move. Now!" Not having to be told twice, the Megas lifted Kenta and rushed out of the way as the Data Stream hit the ground and rushed towards Zihuralamon. His eyes widened and he roared angrily, trying to run from the beam. But it was far faster than he was and it hit him as he attempted to fly away with his torn wings. Snarling and roaring he was sucked up and all went quiet as he and the Data Stream disappeared.

It was over.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Well that's it chapter 25! Hope you liked it. Sorry I took so long tp update. I know I said I'd update weekly but I was on holiday and had no access to the Internet while I was away. And when I eventually got back I had to study for and English Language History test… so yeah. Still looking for a Beta if anyone's interested.

Don't complain about HiAndromon's Copy Paste attack. It's real. I did research on all of their forms and his attack was specifically described in Wikipedia. Go take a look if you want, there's some really interesting stuff on Digimon there.

Thank you so much to everyone that's reviewing, it means so much You're all too kind!

Next chapter will be up next week, I promise!


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